g-nashing of teeth

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

So where are people with Kate Nash? I have Foundations stuck in my head -- I suspect this will be like the Magic Numbers singles from a couple of years back, in that I'm enjoying the song but after two weeks I will actively hate it and want it to go away. But anyway, what strikes me most about it is how determinedly lo-fi it is -- basically it's a Helen Love song with incredibly mannered vocals over the top. First anti-folk no. 1 in UK history? C likes it a lot -- she says it actually speaks to her experience of relationships in a way which Lily Allen's stuff doesn't. And funnily, I found the video quite affecting when I looked it up on youtube (def. surprised by unexpected emotion) -- not frumpy-cute Kate and her human bf, but the animated toothbrushes and watches spooning.

Comments

[ninebelow.livejournal.com]

incredibly mannered vocals

When I first heard it I did quite like it until the "and I have to admit that I was a bit scared" line which is delivered so artificially and scans so poorly it breaks the song to pieces.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

i haven't actually heard her speak eg in an interview, so am not quite sure if she ACTUALLY TALKS LIKE THAT...

...it's certainly a very catchy number, but yes, the vocal stylings are a little odd

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

As yet, I'm undecided. I saw the beginning of her set at Glastonbury, and none of the songs jumped out and grabbed me except 'Caroline Is A Victim' which I'd never heard before, but which apparently was her previous single. I only stayed for 3 or 4 songs though as The Automatic were about to come onstage on the Other Stage it was raining.

I quite like her lyrical style, although it's very clearly derivative. In terms of style actually, I think there's some similarity to be made between the Arctic Monkeys, Pete Doherty, Lily & Kate, plus all the other imitators (Jack Pinata et al). They all seem to use "socially-conscious" (in massive inverted commas) lyrics that don't necessarily rhyme or scan particularly well.

'Foundations' is an ace tune. I just hope that there is other stuff on the album worth hearing.

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

Yeah there's a kind of kitchen-sink wilful mundanity to the lyrics that bothers me a bit. Sort of a will-to-boredom. I blame the nihilism inherent in the Enlightenment Project.

[ninebelow.livejournal.com]

Also The Streets. The same chatty, faux-London, social realism delivery. Plus Dry Your Eyes is a masterclass in poor word choices and rotten scansion.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Foundations is indeed catchy and I don't find it actively repulsive anymore. I really don't like her intonation (I'm sure if Kate put some effort in she could actually sing properly, like Lily) or her poorly scanned and not-quite-clever-enough lyrics. I will have a proper think about why I love Lily's brand of kitchen sink and not Kate's, but I imagine it's the difference between a Habitat sink and one in the MFI sale.

[whalefish.livejournal.com]

As others have said, it's the vocal style that's the problem for me. Put-on accents in songs are a big bugbear of mine (English bands with generic American accents - ARGH), and she just sounds like a well-spoken middle class kid trying to sound 'common' because it sounds cooler on her song. What's wrong with your own voice, love?

She's not quite as funny as Jamie T though, he's the worst culprit for it.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

just listened for the first time on youtube - i am so out of touch with ver kids :-(

is ok. it's odd to think of this as #1 material.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

i didn't mean that as a reply to your post whalefish.

fwiw, i am entirely pro put on voices. this is poss cos my accent runs all over the place depending on who i am talking to, and when i'm singing i can feel that it is putting on voice anyway.

[jel-bugle.livejournal.com]

I bet she's never been anywhere near Acton in her life.