I’ve lately had a weakness for female British pop singers. Amy Winehouse is a deliriously talented train wreck of a woman with one of the best albums of the last five years (Back to Black). Lily Allen is a charmingly fun lad dressed as a quirky young faux-cockney gal, and her songs are darling. (Sorry, but if you don’t like “LDN” or “Alfie,” you’re dead inside.) Beth Orton (who is more folk than pop) is a songwriter who may one day eclipse the great Carol King.
But Kate Nash. I don’t know where this 20something came from, but she needs to not go away, ever. She needs to keep making her wonderfully awesome music. No, it’s not because she’s a freckled redhead (though that’s ALWAYS worth major points in my book), it’s because this foul-mouthed gal writes amazing songs that bounce back and forth between attitude-driven storytelling and heart-breaking introspection.
Yes, yes, I like layers of noise and pretentious “indie” music and delight in name dropping, but whatever. I’m no so protective of my non-existent “cred” that I’m not willing to point out the huge amount of awesome that is Kate Nash. So yeah, I’ll put myself out there. I like the hell out of this female pop singer’s music.
I mean, just listen to this. It’s her single, “Foundations”.
Shut up. That’s a seriously great song. A seriously. Great. Song.
And her cool factor shoots up to 11 thanks to her decision to cover one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands of the last few years, “Fluorescent Adolescent” by Arctic Monkeys:
Nice! Lots and LOTS of bands have covered this, but none have made it seem as natural as she did. It’s a perfect fit.
Her album, “Made of Bricks,” is truly fantastic. From start to finish, fantastic. Catchy and funny and smart and just damn good.
Here’s Kate doing her single, “Mouthwash,” which is a super song, super like Superman, only it’s a song, not a superhero, and it can’t leap over tall buildings in a single bound:
Kate Nash. Dig it, yo.
