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So, from bed-bound broken foot casualty to creator of the finest debut album of the year in just over a year.
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She remains a nice kid whose knowledge of her own limitations doesn't interfere with her self-respect. That's not just because the knowledge helps her make catchy music out of it, either. But the music helps.
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Nash isn't quite the pottymouth that some of those titles might suggest, and she does a good job of keeping her tales about going for the wrong guy (among other problems faced by a 20-year-old woman) relatively universal, even as she's singing about trainers, tarts, and discos.
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Consistently framed around a beat, a piano and her voice, her plucky and at times eccentric songs generally stick to themes of female neurosis, emotional fragility and, occasionally, what she likes to eat on her toast.
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Bricks is consequently more bracing and rewarding than most young-love-lost albums.
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Using her piano, guitar, and rhythm tracks as both weapon and comforter, Nash skips lightly from ultra-contemporary hip-hop grooves to jaunty pop melodies that harken back to Motown and the Fab Four, all while retaining a keen lyrical eye for her own sense of joy, doubt, and power.
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What impresses the most about Made of Bricks are her deft sketches of deteriorating relationships.
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Nash's bluntness and detail make for a good spectacle. [Feb 2008, p.96]
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Though Nash's debut Made of Bricks can be weighed down by forced sassiness and whiz-bang effects (applied like lacquer by Bloc Party producer Paul Epworth), her lilting alto and quirky sensibility are ultimately winning.
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It's one of the most exciting debuts by a young female pop artist in ages. If occasionally it veers a wee bit too much towards the cutesy-kooky.
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The results are sometimes infuriating but more often lovable. There’s something shrewd about the way she refuses to refuse to state the obvious.
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Under The RadarIt is not a revolutionary concept, but where Nash shows her mettle is in her storytelling. [Winter 2008]
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Nash's lyrics are charming and skillful, with huge mouthfuls of narrative information crammed into unbelievably small spaces.
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Though its doubtful that Made of Bricks will go down as one of the greatest debuts in UK history, it’s still a remarkably entertaining and witty disc, doubling over as the album equivalent of a fun, summer popcorn movie.
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Q MagazineWhile not yet distinct enough to escape [Lily] Allen's shadow, as an empathetic soundtrack to similar growing pains Nash's debut hits its mark. [Sep 2007, p.86]
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This could well have been a much better album than it is. Still, there's enough here to indicate that Nash's obvious natural flair for songwriting will blossom, and that her fearless voice will only get better with experience.
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Nash seems a little callow, but Bricks is the sound of an eager kid making unconventional pop that works despite--and, sometimes, because of--her overstuffed brain.
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Nash is more than just another girl on piano, and some of the songs on Made of Bricks are promising. But her inconsistent songwriting and penchant for falling back on cliches show that originality requires more than just an English accent.
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BlenderHer story-songs about crushes gone wrong and nerdy social skills are like late-night IMs set to coffeehouse guitars. [Mar 2008, p.100]
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Made of Bricks too often tries to smooth over the emotional cracks, breaks and fissures that happen to be Kate Nash's distinguishing hallmark. Without them, she may as well be any other London newcomer in a bright dress and matching trainers.
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Nash keeps herself resolutely in the background of her songs, revealing precious little of her own personality or emotion, and it’s this reservation that makes her fail as a popstar, at least right now.
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Essentially, Made Of Bricks is comprised of a lot of below-par b-sides, three pretty special tracks and then bunch of 'nice tries'...but don't expect anyone to be whistling them in three months' time.
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The music is not Made from Bricks' problem: 'Foundations' proves she can write an indelible chorus and 'Mouthwash' and 'Merry Happy' suggest there are plenty more fine melodies where that came from. The problem is Nash's lyrics.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 42 out of 61
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Mixed: 10 out of 61
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Negative: 9 out of 61
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May 27, 2011With the magnificent debut of Foundations and the follow up singles I had high hopes for this album but it didn't quite live up to the expectation.
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Nov 25, 2021I love Kate Nash's debut album, her voice is so warm and great and her lyrics are amazing
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Nov 25, 2021I love Kate Nash's debut, so many amazing songs! She's such a talented girl, love her