Dancing at Discos, Eating Cheese on Toast

Published April 8, 2008

By Bridget Treco

Foul-mouthed Brits are highly underrated in America.

Most people remember the edgy pop singer Lily Allen, but most don’t know enough about (or haven’t heard of) Kate Nash. If you like acts like Feist, Cat Power, and Rilo Kiley you will most likely love piano-playing, singer-songwriter Nash. She hails from London, where her debut album Made of Bricks is #1 on the UK charts. Not bad, and the girl is only 20 (just a year older than many of us!)

What’s so unique about Kate that we haven’t seen before in similar piano-playing girls? Most people would link Nash with slightly above-average acts like Sara Bareilles and Regina Spektor- but the difference between them is huge. Nash swears consistently in upbeat songs about drinking, sex, feminism and failing relationships- with a far more relatable and energetic attitude, drawing away from feebler, “emo” choices like Bareilles and Spektor.

You might have heard her hits “Foundations,” “Merry Happy,” or “Pumpkin Soup,” played on loop in somewhere like Urban Outfitters (I know I have), but in case you haven’t, here’s a little taste of her lyrical style- “You said I must eat so many lemons / cause I am so bitter / I said ‘I’d rather be with your friends, mate / cause they are much fitter.’” Really, who doesn’t like British slang?

Nash does a lot of work on collaborations with DJs and rappers, but some of her most brilliant work is on her cover songs, ranging from covers of Arctic Monkeys and Cold War kids to Beyoncé. My personal favorite is her live cover of “A New England” with Billy Bragg. You don’t have to appreciate her accent or the sheer Britishness in her perspective; you just have to be willing to appreciate a humorous approach to the dark things in our lives.

You can only interpret the meaning in songs like “Skeleton Song” (”Skeleton we are so close / but you have got no body / so why do you insist on wearing clothes”) and “Shit Song” (”Darling don’t give me shit / cause I know that you’re full of it / you’re full of shit”) for yourself. The best part about lyrics like these is how particularly sweet she sounds and how cute she looks. The best example of this is on one of the tracks, entitled “Dickhead”- “Why you being a dickhead for / Stop being a dickhead.” Enough said.

If you’re intrigued, I recommend looking further than the 12 or so tracks on Made of Bricks, and check out “Habanera” (with the distinct flavor of Bizet’s original from Carmen), “Navy Taxi” (”I lost a tenner on the way / Thinking about it / did I spend it last night / When I was drunk / and wanted to get more drunk?”) and her original break-out hit, “Caroline’s A Victim.”

Besides the brilliant lyrics, Nash’s voice is poignant and resonant especially as a female. The piano is mashed up with wind instruments and a great beat that you can dance to, making her music appropriate for any mood or occasion. It’s a type of music that provides an emotional catharsis, but eliminates the moodiness and self-pity surrounding that, making you feel fresh and better afterwards. Add alcoholic woes, a strong accent, name-calling, and you’ve got Kate Nash.

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