Review: Kate Nash - 'Girl Talk'

2007 was the year, Lily Allen was fast becoming old news and the music industry was after another 'rootsy' cute girl pop star to milk money out of. Low and behold a ginger square fringed 19 year old BRIT school girl sprung out of the ground with a pretty catchy single called "Caroline's a Victim". With her 'homegrown' brand of bubblegum pop naturally she gathered a lot of interest online from teenage fans via myspace (you know, the old myspace, the good one). Another boyfriend bashing cockney knees up with "Foundations" and voila the UK press took her under their wing and gave her a number 2 single. And later a number 1 album with Made Of Bricks. Perfect, right? Maybe not. After a 3 year gap, with only a budding relationship with Cribs' guitarist Ryan Jarman to note, Nash returned a little different. Gone were the frilly dresses and modest makeup and in came a poncho wearing, crimson haired, red lipped... well... woman. Nash 2.0. As well as this a voice came with the face 'covered in freckles'. The nations favourite teenage girl had grown up and formed opinions she couldn't help but air and regularly talked to the press about feminism and 90s American sub-culture Riot Grrrl. 2010's "My Best Friend Is You" alienated certain fans with its rougher style though it was still predominantly poppy with co-songwriting duties coming from Suede's guitar hero Bernard Butler.

Another 3 years have passed and once again things have changed. Dropping her former major label for self set up indie Have 10p Records. The label and album was funded by her fans. Also the seemingly ever-lasting relationship with Jarman fell apart in early 2012 leaving many to wonder what went wrong. Not to say Nash has come back weak however, she returned with a snarl last year with comeback single "Underestimate The Girl" and the "Death Proof EP". Now we find ourselves with 3rd album "Girl Talk" and there's no jaunty piano pop to be heard. Instead Nash wields a fuzz laden bass guitar as her new all female band provide sharp guitars and rumbling drums.

The album opens with the quiet waltzing rhythm of Part Heart displaying that romantic turmoil has not left the grrrl unaffected. The lyrics "A part of me is living/ A part of me is dead" convey a gap left in Nash's life (presumably by Jarman) whilst "Fri-end" almost rings as a sort of good riddance track. These two themes are present in other moments of the album with Nash shifting between lonesome disparaging songs like lead single "3am" and "Omygod!" to the bitter reflections of a former love "Are You There Sweetheart?" and "Oh". Its clear to see that whoever the culprit of Nash's despair it has left her confused in a lovelorn state.

However "Girl Talk" also see's Nash at her most empowered especially in regards to the subject closest to her heart, gender politics. On "All Talk" she rasps “You have a problem with me ‘cause I'm a girl, I'm a feminist/ And if that offends you, then fuck you,” at a misogynistic enemy. Again on "Rap For Rejection" (yes ladies and gentleman, rap!) she spits the words “You’re trying to tell me sexism doesn’t exist/ If it doesn’t exist, then what the fuck is this?" whilst going on to verbally batter "lad" magazines and the assumptions of homosexuality given to feminist women. It's on these songs that Nash impresses me the most having moved on leaps and bounds from the less mature "dickhead" insults of "Made Of Bricks". Its clear that the singer is passionate about the perceptions of women in modern society and won't allow for these never ending matters to be brushed under the carpet. 

Its a shame that Kate Nash's platform to broadcast her music is only shrinking due to the departure from her former pop chart fame. "Girl Talk" is a very ambitious album that you can tell has had blood, sweat and tears poured into it. Musically the songs haven't lost any of Nash's pop sensibilities but are improved with a real band dynamic. And in terms of subject matter it deserves far more than a pat on the back or a patronising "good for her". In a world where we are in desperate need of relevant artists Kate Nash, or at least Kate Nash 2.0 is a refreshing change from the ever circulating lad rock love songs. Start giving a shit world.