(Morning Star, Friday 31 August 2007)
ALBUM: Kate Nash - Made of Bricks
(Polydor)
SOME media darlings are in the frame for so long that it feels like they've been recording since nursery. Kate Nash is just one such performer.
It is astounding that this is only her debut release, so in the public eye has she been since Lily Allen sainted her all those moons ago.
Nash takes her cue from Allen as regards her Estuary accent and pitching her lyrics at a modern, fun level. The words here are shot through with cultural references and sassy language, but Nash's folky roots and the essence of her music go far beyond Allen's oeuvre, finding a magic and beauty in love stories, such as Birds, and break-ups, such as in radio favourite Foundations, that Allen misses time and again.
The 19-year-old Londoner may be a passing fad, but the songs which she has committed to record on Made of Bricks stand by themselves regardless of this year's musical landscape.
With an absolute high point in Merry Happy, the record is the essence of summer spent with your very best friend, checking out boys and bitching about girls. It's all a laugh, innit?
