Kate Nash – Made of Bricks

Rating: 8.5
Best Track: “Foundations”
Worst Track: “Play”

She’s a sassy, vulgar, genre-hopping Brit with an anti-relationship attitude and eccentric style. No, Lily Allen didn’t put out a new album. But Allen, a MySpace success story, certainly wouldn’t object to Kate Nash encroaching on her territory, especially considering she jump-started Nash’s success by adding Nash to her top MySpace friends. Since then, Nash’s tracks have created a massive buzz on music blogs, earned her a stint as MTV’s Artist of the Week and garnered infinite references to “Lily Allen 2.0.”

In the midst of this collective Nashgasm, it’s hard to avoid the inevitable comparisons, but Kate Nash is her own act. The twelve catchy, piano-driven tracks on Nash’s full-length debut, Made of Bricks, distinguish her as someone to watch out for in 2008. Her unique, floating, heavily accented voice meshes well with the piano and carries the lyrics well.

Kate Nash is one vulgar lady – not for show, but for the sole purpose of “keeping it real.” Songs like “Dickhead” and “Shit Song” aren’t likely to get played on the radio and lines like “Birds can fly so high/and they can shit on your head” probably won’t get embroidered on any pillows in the near future. However, they just add to the rawness of Nash’s simple but relatable songs of unrequited love.

The instrumentation is gorgeous. While her songs focus mainly on the piano, Nash branches out into different genres – take the disco-pop “Shit Song” or “Birds,” an acoustic love ballad including the aforementioned head-shitting line. The songs are slick, with just enough production to sound put together without being overdone.

The well-chosen first single, “Foundations,” is a raw and emotional look at a failing relationship set to a cheery pop riff. Other high points are “Mouthwash,” a Sara Bareilles-like ode to self-confidence, and the 70s-inspired “Merry Happy.”

The only two songs that fail to grab attention are “Play,” a pointless introductory ditty that adds nothing to the album, and “The Nicest Thing,” an acoustic bore lamenting a boy that doesn’t notice. These songs are too simple and mainly predictable.

Neither Nash nor her songs take themselves too seriously, which is refreshing in today’s often-pretentious musical universe. In some ways, the sheer simplicity of Made of Bricks is what makes it such a great album. It’s relatable yet still emotional, unrefined yet still introspective. Within this balance, Nash will find her success.

- Amanda Renko