CD Review: My Best Friend is You by Kate Nash
Her platinum debut album, Made of Bricks, shot Kate Nash to fame, but she seems to be changing her sound in her new release, My Best Friend is You.
There are still hints of the “Lily Allen-like” air that pervaded her earlier work, but she takes enough risks on My Best Friend is You that it’s clear that Nash is looking to expand her musical horizons.
Her attempts at this vary wildly in quality and produce an album that lacks an overarching coherence. The album pulls in too many different directions, but the upside is an obvious growth, musically. The inclusion of some grungy punk flashes with her brighter pop style is a welcome addition.
The album kicks off with the up tempo song, “Paris,” in which Nash seems to be talking to herself when she sings, “You’ve come so far/Well done darling.” It is a solid if unspectacular way to start the record and does not stray from Nash’s distinct pop mold.
Not until “I Just Love You More” does she shatter that mold thoroughly. The tune is way more ‘80s punk anarchist than ‘00s pop princess. The screeching feedback glares and Nash’s own high-pitched rocker scream may turn off some of her fan base, but the shift in style works for her.
“Do-Wah-Doo” is the lead single of the album, and it finds Nash falling back to her more energetic and upbeat self. Releasing this was probably calculated to draw in prior listeners, as it is more closely related to the first album.
Nash’s experimentation is found elsewhere on the record, most obviously on “Mansion Song,” a track that is less of a song and more of a beatnik-style poem. The harshness of the obscenities and the rebelliousness, both hallmarks of beat poems, results in some particularly vicious verses, and while it is a great poem, it simply does not fit here.
The evolution exhibited on My Best Friend is You ends up being a respectable effort that Nash sabotages by trying to do too many things different. The overall album is confused about what it wants to be. Punk? Avant-garde? Pop?
Still, it is refreshing to see her at least try. It will be interesting to see which direction she ultimately decides to move on future releases.
If you enjoy Kate Nash’s distinctly British vocals or are just looking for some alternative to the horrid “Gaga Monster,” you will want to pick up My Best Friend is You. You won’t be wowed, but it’s worth a listen.
2 ½ Stars out of 5.