Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2009
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
62
50 Cent
70
AFI
65
Air
70
Alice In Chains
53
Kris Allen
78
Amerie
79
Annie
76
Anti-Pop Consortium
86
The Antlers
75
Arctic Monkeys
68
As Tall As Lions
82
Atlas Sound
77
The Avett Brothers
67
Backstreet Boys
59
Bad Lieutenant
68
Devendra Banhart
71
Lou Barlow
88
Baroness
69
Basement Jaxx
81
David Bazan
72
Beak>
72
Brendan Benson
84
Biffy Clyro
72
The Big Pink
95
Big Star
46
Billy Talent
75
The Black Crowes
72
The Black Heart Procession
68
Blitzen Trapper
75
BLK JKS
53
Bon Jovi
76
A.A. Bondy
65
Boys Like Girls
76
Brand New
73
Tyondai Braxton
83
Brother Ali
72
Ian Brown
75
Michael Buble
77
Built To Spill
61
Colbie Caillat
78
Califone
69
Mariah Carey
81
Brandi Carlile
72
Julian Casablancas
83
Rosanne Cash
71
Castanets
65
The Cave Singers
82
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
64
Exene Cervenka
79
Vic Chesnutt
75
Choir Of Young Believers
81
Circulatory System
67
The Clean
84
The Clientele
72
Cold Cave
85
Converge
71
Eric Copeland
76
The Cribs
79
Cymbals Eat Guitars
62
Dashboard Confessional
71
Datarock
59
Dead By Sunrise
76
Dead Man's Bones
77
Del The Funky Homosapien & Tame One
88
Destroyer
73
Do Make Say Think
63
The Dodos
77
Drive-By Truckers
67
Bob Dylan
58
Echo & The Bunnymen
61
Electric Six
44
The Entrance Band
69
Fanfarlo
71
Jay Farrar And Benjamin Gibbard
63
Felix Da Housecat
68
Fink
66
Orenda Fink
79
The Flaming Lips
66
Flight Of The Conchords
79
Florence And The Machine
67
John Fogerty
83
Fuck Buttons
71
Nelly Furtado
47
Gary Go
68
Ghostface Killah
79
Girls
69
Gossip
62
David Gray
66
David Guetta
65
Calvin Harris
79
Richard Hawley
74
Mayer Hawthorne
66
Headlights
79
HEALTH
77
Joe Henry
67
Hockey
67
Whitney Houston
80
Hudson Mohawke
68
Imogen Heap
59
Jack Ingram
79
Islands
74
Jamie T
65
Jay-Z
51
Jet
68
Daniel Johnston
76
Norah Jones
77
Karen O And The Kids
72
Toby Keith
69
Kid Cudi
75
Kid Sister
66
Kings Of Convenience
62
Sean Kingston
64
KISS
63
Mark Knopfler
73
Kris Kristofferson
68
KRS-One & Buckshot
76
La Roux
85
Miranda Lambert
72
Ledisi
71
Sondre Lerche
56
Juliette Lewis
62
Leona Lewis
82
Lightning Bolt
74
Little Dragon
44
Pixie Lott
83
Patty Loveless
73
Lyle Lovett
79
Lucero
75
Baaba Maal
77
Madness
84
Madonna
85
Manic Street Preachers
61
Maps
73
Mario
55
Massive Attack
57
Matisyahu
62
John Mayer
67
Reba McEntire
66
Tim McGraw
65
Brian McKnight
79
Mew
75
Mika
68
Amy Millan
76
Mission Of Burma
75
Molina And Johnson
80
Monsters Of Folk
66
Morrissey
85
Mount Eerie
76
The Mountain Goats
62
Múm
72
Muse
66
Willie Nelson
82
Nirvana
96
Nirvana
80
No Age
71
Noah And The Whale
75
Noisettes
79
Nudge
64
OneRepublic
47
Dolores O'Riordan
74
Os Mutantes
78
Osso
67
Alec Ounsworth
81
Owen
73
Paramore
78
Pastels And Tenniscoats
54
Sean Paul
80
Pearl Jam
69
Jemina Pearl
72
Jack Penate
65
Phish
82
Pissed Jeans
61
Pitbull
79
A Place To Bury Strangers
79
Polvo
72
Porcupine Tree
72
Port O'Brien
79
Q-Tip
79
R.E.M.
88
Raekwon
69
Rain Machine
70
Ramona Falls
75
Dizzee Rascal
74
The Raveonettes
79
Real Estate
76
Jay Reatard
81
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
66
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
78
Russian Circles
69
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
78
Say Anything
61
Sally Shapiro
78
Shudder To Think
70
Simian Mobile Disco
58
Simple Minds
72
Six Organs Of Admittance
80
Slayer
61
The Slits
77
Speech Debelle
58
Spiral Stairs
55
Steel Panther
75
Sufjan Stevens
52
Rod Stewart
68
Joss Stone
83
Barbra Streisand
77
A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74
Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
79
The Swell Season
80
David Sylvian
83
Taken By Trees
80
Tegan And Sara
68
The Temper Trap
78
The Dutchess & The Duke
71
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
74
Them Crooked Vultures
72
Themselves
82
They Might Be Giants
66
J Tillman
69
Times New Viking
57
Tokio Hotel
67
Trey Songz
73
Frank Turner
71
The Twilight Sad
60
Carrie Underwood
56
The Used
68
Various Artists
69
Various Artists
77
The Very Best
70
Kurt Vile
65
Vivian Girls
71
Volcano Choir
73
Rufus Wainwright
78
Wale
57
Weezer
81
White Denim
76
Why?
83
Wild Beasts
80
Wildbirds & Peacedrums
69
Robbie Williams
59
Andrew W.K.
65
Wolfmother
84
The xx
79
Yo La Tengo
83
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
52
Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59
Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Get Away From Me
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 17 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 19 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Columbia
Release Date: 10 February 2004
Discs: 2 discs
Genre(s): Jazz, Pop, Singer-Songwriter
Summary
London-born, 19-year-old jazz vocalist Nellie McKay makes her debut with this 2-disc set produced by Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick. Unlike contemporaries such as Norah Jones, McKay brings a darker edge and a sense of humor (and even a hint of hip hop) to her songs, all of which she wrote herself.
Also By This Artist: Pretty Little Head
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Entertainment Weekly
Sophisticated stuff even for a music vet; truly stunning considering McKay is only 19.
Read Full Review >Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
Not counting Stephin Merritt, no other under-40 approaches McKay's gift for cabaret.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times
Filled with just the kind of unpredictable twists and turns that you'd expect from someone who lists Doris Day as one of her idols and hopes someday to be compared to Bob Dylan. [29 Feb 2004]
Mojo
This has wit in spades, an irrepressible love of language and genuine originality. [Oct 2004, p.110]
Blender
Her coy delivery suggests a seething everywoman concealing her rage under an ominously bright surface.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
Often, Get Away From Me sounds like the work of someone with decades of experience getting one shot to try every idea she's ever had. [17 Mar 2004]
Stylus Magazine
So ignore the Doris-Day-meets-Eminem descriptions you’re seeing; this is more like Kate Bush meets Phil Ochs.
Read Full Review >Spin
The record could use more songs like "David," where her bratty valedictorian wit is balanced with a sense of real emotional stakes. [Apr 2004, p.93]
Uncut
Think Randy Newman crooned in a voice like Peggy Lee and delivered with the panache of Rufus Wainwright. [Sep 2004, p.96]
All Music Guide
Get Away From Me is an exciting debut that could become a cult favorite among pissed-off girl-women of McKay's age; if she can focus her creative energy without sacrificing any of the bite of her debut, she'll become an even more impressive talent.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
A screw is definitely loose somwhere, but so what? [Oct 2004, p.128]
PopMatters
McKay runs the risk of stalling out at "adorably wacky" instead of actually meaning anything at all, or rewarding multiple listens with something more.
Read Full Review >ShakingThrough.net
There's no mistaking McKay's talent as a songwriter, even if, as on "The Dog Song," she still falls too easily prey to cloying preciousness.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
With better lyrics and a longer attention span, McKay would be a jaw-dropping songwriter, but it's difficult to get sucked into a song if you don't connect with the singer.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle
It's sometimes hard to tell who's running the show, the major label or the major talent.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 19 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Dan F gave it a10:
Totally unpredictable and funny and smart. What else could you ask for?
Chris H gave it a9:
If the Bloodhound Gang went to Berekley, this would be the kind of music they would make. Hillariously brilliant album!
d gave it a10:
one of the greatest albums of the 00's
Josh W gave it a10:
Her album is so innovative and fresh. Who knew that vocal jazz and rap went together like two peas in a pod?
Stiven gave it a9:
Absolutely fantastic record!
Andrew gave it a10:
First time I heard Nellie Mckay was on the Late Show with David Letterman, she was performing "The Dog Song". I thought it seemed a little weird at first. Next time I saw her, was on the Late Late Show (not sure if it was a guest host, of if Craig Ferguson had started), and she was performing "Sari". At that moment I was duly impressed! "Sari" being her song that she delves into rapping about what is troubling her, and apologises for it. So upon hearing the album, and getting to know her, definitely nothing weird about her! "The Dog Song" is a creative quirky song, just what is probably lacking in much popular music of today. Overall the album defies categorisation, although pop, and adult pop/jazz would work well, which is rather impressive for a 19 year old! Besides being a great album, she is funny, a great performer, and smart. Some of her lyrics have a political tinge to them, including songs, such as "John-John", about John Kerry and Ralph Nader (originally titled "Mickey Mouse", changed for obvious reasons), it appears on the DualDisc release, and "Columbia is Bleeding" about Columbia University's cruelty to animals. Since she was (jokingly) disappointed on "The View" about Rolling Stone only giving her album four stars, I'll give it five, but I do mean it! Her sophomore is tentatively scheduled for a September 27th release!
Skagitguy gave it a10:
I'm a 48 year old middle class republican male (please don't throw things at the monitor). That being said I am very critiacal of music and enjoy Dorisa Day as well as Eminem (yes, really) And while many of Nellie's lyrics often drip with that sardonic liberal wit I've come to loathe... her songwriting and performance is pure genius and soars high above the mind-numbing pop stuff that tries to pass itself off as music. I sat entranced as I listened to her pound out "Sari" on Letterman. It was that same kind of chill as when I heard Coltrane's "Giant Steps" or Tom Wait's "Closing Time" for the first time. Gwen, Jessica, Britney.... please step aside and let a blonde who actually HAS talent step up to the mike. Thank you.
