By Ellis Frederick ’12, Contributor

Nearly two-and-a-half years after releasing her surprisingly popular debut, Kate Nash has returned with a sophomore album. Nash’s quirky lyrics and adorable British accent have made pop music listeners turn their heads. She falls into a category similar to Lily Allen, another more famous British pop singer. Her new CD, My Best Friend Is You, follows the same path as her first album, Made of Bricks, but it is much more risky. This works for most songs. For others, not so much.

The opening song, “Paris,” is already a bigger production than her entire debut album. There is an orchestra behind Nash, along with the piano and catchy lyrics that have become her signature. Most of the album is just like this song: it’s the same Kate Nash formula, only upped a notch. The songs that succeed the most are “Do-Wah-Doo” (the album’s lead single), “Early Christmas Present,” and “Kiss That Grrrl.”

Nash becomes more experimental on songs like “Take Me to a Higher Plane” and “I’ve Got a Secret.” “Take Me to a Higher Plane” is probably the highlight of the album. If it wasn’t so orchestrated, it could be on the Juno soundtrack. That being said, other songs are not so good when they are trying to be different. “I Just Love You More” and “Mansion Song” come off as strange, and they aren’t enjoyable to listen to.

That being said, it’s not a bad album. She has a lovely voice that has obviously not been reworked in the studio and, unlike most pop musicians, she writes all of her own songs. If you don’t like music that drifts away from the mainstream pop, I wouldn’t recommend My Best Friend is You. If you like music that’s different, you should give Kate Nash a listen. She’s a very talented individual, and that’s rare to come across these days.

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