CD review: Made of Bricks

Genre: Pop

WARNING: Explicit

Released: January 8, 2008 (US)

Well, Lily Allen takes an interest in you, and your popularity zooms! Kate Nash's debut album, Made of Bricks, is certainly similar to Lily Allen's Alright, Still, and a casual listener may confuse the two, but they are quite different. For one, Nash is even more straightforward than Allen (yes, it's possible) with songs such as "Dickhead" and "Shit Song", and her album is, on the whole, catchier than Allen's debut. 

That being said, unlike Allen, most of Kate Nash's songs (save for "Foundations" and "Mouthwash" and "Merry Happy") do not grab at you right away - in fact, I absolutely hated about half of the songs upon first listen. But they grow on you, especially as you get to listen to the lyrics. They certainly are not the most poetic words or sentiments, but they are apt. The worst track on the album is probably "We Get On", simply because it's the most boring, while "Pumpkin Soup" get the nod for most surprising song - not at all what it's name implies!

As previously mentioned, it's easy to compare Nash and Allen in regards to song theme and most certainly voice. However, Nash is no mere copy. The fact that her songs are still surprising, fresh and unique - despite sounding like Allen - is a great accomplishment. Unlike most songs, where they make an amazing first impression and then tire quickly, Nash's songs grow on you with time (she's included a song for just about every possible situation you can get into - from gleeful "Merry Happy" to the heartfelt and depressing "Nicest Thing"). 

Recommended Tracks: "Foundations", "Pumpkin Soup", "Shit Song", "Merry Happy"

RATING

Melody: 3.5/5 Lyrics: 4/5 "Catchiness" factor: 6/10

TOTAL: 6.75/10