ARTIST: Kate Nash 
TITLE: Made of Bricks
YEAR RELEASED: 2007
CHART ACTION: #36 US, #1 UK
SINGLES: Foundations (#116 US, #2 UK), Mouthwash (#23 UK), Pumpkin Soup (#23 UK), Merry Happy (#112 US, #116 UK)
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Birds
LINEUP: Kate Nash, Jay Malhotra, Elliot Andres, Mei-ling Wong, Fiona Brice
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Debut by very-English very-feminist singer songwriter that broke through using MySpace, limited editions, and MP3 sharing.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: Kate Nash doesn’t hide her feelings, nor her accent. That’s a great contrast to many singers in this area that seem pre-programmed and smoothed out.
Nash also took an unconventional path to success, uploading songs to MySpace, then getting a producer after that, and then whetting appetites with limited edition records, and also having songs leak out creating word-of-mouth buzz.
The arrangements are also unconventional. They have an edge to them, even though their acoustic based and could sometimes be sweet. The melody and vocals make it unique – they fully back up her worldview.
This was quite successful in the UK, for good reason. She’s got a uniquely British sound and it fits well on the radio there. However, she translates well over here and everywhere. This was one of the most promising debuts in a while.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: She first recorded her songs at home after breaking her foot in 2005.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: Yes, including the ubiquitous Japanese version
GRADE: A: Not just the singles made an impact – the entire album is full of excellent songs and performances.
