British and singer songwriter Kate Nash is back, this time with a feminist spunk to drive her and her own independent record label to control her artistry.
Rebelling against her former pop goody-two-shoes sound, her new album Girl Talk, released March 5, demonstrates her experimentation with the rock genre and her frustration.
To commence the album is the rock-bluesy track “Part Heart.” Nash and Fern Ford, Nash’s drummer, use their notes and beats to create heaviness in the song that emphasizes the explosion of melody awaiting the listener.
Following “Part Heart” is “Fri-end,” a head nodding, catchy track that bluntly confronts her supposed “friend’s” mistreatment towards her.
Next is “Are You There Sweetheart?” which displays a slight pop sound with its own rock twist. After comes “Sister,” a completely opposite track compared to “Are You There Sweetheart?” Nash’s voice in this track is harsher, yet the severity of her voice highlights her anger and emotional vulnerability.
The most downloaded song on the album is “OMYGOD!” for it’s lighthearted lyrics and upbeat tempo. Following “OMYGOD!” is “Oh,” which features Siobhan Malhorta, Nash’s childhood friend who died of cystic fibrosis March 7.
Another noteworthy track is “Conventional Girl.” This song is not only great musically, but the lyrics are stained with poetry and self-reflection. Nash talks about how this toxic relationship is “quite challenging but now (she’s) thinking differently,” and further explains her thoughts about how to handle a similar situation.
To follow this sorrowful song is “3 AM,” a fast-paced plead with a lover, where instead of Nash’s vocal abilities overshadowing the music, her guitar skills exceed and radiate throughout.
To conclude the album is “Lullaby for an Insomniac,” where Nash only uses one instrument: her soothing raindrop voice that pours into the ears of the audience effortlessly and warms their hearts.
Even though the album is good, overall there are a few songs on the album that are not musically or vocally pleasing to the audience. One song that exhibits this is “All Talk,” a noisy, screeching melody that was only worsened by Nash’s guttural voice.
However, aside from that song and a few others, Girl Talk is a feminist fist of fury punching against her former albums, Made of Bricks and My Best Friend is You, and the woman that her old record label tried to make her be.
Kate Nash is taking her talents on her North American tour, stopping in DC at The Black Cat on March 23.
In Girl Talk, Nash defines her own artistry and emotionally purges her thoughts and feelings into every song, creating an authenticity that has not been touched by Nash until now.
