Made of Bricks
by Kate Nash
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Album details
US: IMPORT ONLY
UK: 6 August 2007 on Polydor
Paul Epworth produced the 20-year-old British singer-songwriter’s debut, which was rushed to record stores early following a hit single ("Foundations") and an increasingly-popular MySpace page. The album debuted at #1 on the UK sales chart.
The critical consensus
Could Kate Nash follow in Lily Allen’s footsteps from MySpace popularity to successful British singer-songwriter–and, more importantly, could she do so having just turned 20 years old and having only been making music for a little over a year? Well, it’s certainly not a flawless record, but some of the critics enjoyed it and heard a promising young talent. Others? Not so much.
"For a 20-year-old, Nash has constructed an album of surprising verve and variety," says the BBC, calling her debut "an album which despite its flaws is one of this year’s more interesting offerings." MusicOMH loves Nash’s songwriting abilities and labels Bricks "the finest debut album of the year," while This Is Fake DIY describes the disc as "a collection of very good songs, played in a completely unpretentious, honest way." Dotmusic also hears "real talent" on the album, even if "occasionally it veers a wee bit too much towards the cutesy-kooky." Gigwise, too, generally enjoys Bricks, concluding, "It’s a grower in every sense and one that leaves you guessing, daydreaming and wanting more." And The New York Times’ Kelefa Sanneh decides that it is "sometimes infuriating but more often lovable."
Drowned In Sound, however, feels that Nash wasn’t quite ready to move from bedroom to stage: "Essentially, Made Of Bricks is comprised of a lot of below-par b-sides, three pretty special tracks and then bunch of ‘nice tries’." While The Guardian actually enjoys her music, the UK paper states, "The problem is Nash’s lyrics," adding that her words manage the unlikely feat of "mak[ing] ordinary situations seem even more ordinary." For Stylus, the problem is that "Nash keeps herself resolutely in the background of her songs, revealing precious little of her own personality or emotion." And if the Independent doesn’t get its point across with descriptors such as "irritating," "limp," "clumsy," and "ridiculous," it certainly does with its conclusion: "Pole position for worst album of the year."
It’s one of the most exciting debuts by a young female pop artist in ages.
- Emily Mackay, Dotmusic
Review roundup
- MusicOMH, 5/5
- BBC
- Dotmusic, 7/10
- Gigwise, 3.5/5
- The New York Times [13 Aug 2007] good
- Observer Music Monthly, 4/5
- This Is Fake DIY, 4/5
- Pitchfork, 5.5/10
- Q [Sep 2007, p.86], 3/5
- Sputnikmusic, 3/5
- Drowned In Sound, 4/10
- The Guardian, 2/5
- Stylus, C-
- The Independent, 1/5
Tracklisting and media
- Play
- Foundations
- Mouthwash
- Dickhead
- Birds
- We Get On
- Mariella
- Shit Song
- Pumpkin Soup
- Skeleton Song
- Nicest Thing
- Merry Happy
Emily Mckay totally understood kate’s music . i’ll quote her “It’s the British spirit that if something appears to be a good, fun and widely celebrated, we are suspicious. So, presented with a genuine, shiny, sparky pop star like Kate Nash, armed with the selling power to almost dislodge Rihanna’s bloody “Umbrella”-ella-ella from Number One, rather than applaud her gallop to success, we’re tempted to look a gift horse in the mouth. Don’t be, because this is one filly that bites
what a breath of fresh air …
i don’t understand why british reviewers have such a complex with their own music.everyting must be depressed and full of drugs otherwise they don’t like it .. well . I’ll quote Nash this time ” darling don’t give me s***t cause i know that you’re full of it… you’re full of it “