Kate Nash
My Best Friend Is You (Universal)

At first, I wasn’t in love with Kate Nash’s My Best Friend Is You. It’s not that the high-energy kickoff to Nash’s second release—an upbeat pop piece entitled “Paris”—isn’t a completely joyous laundry list of complaints. It’s just that it’s almost predictable; its 1960s Ronettes feel is cheeky and fun but other British artists—think Lily Allen and VV Brown—are already covering that tongue-in-cheek territory.

However, at the three-and-a-half-minute mark of the album’s third song, “Don’t You Want to Share the Guilt?”, Nash’s aural innovation comes at the listener full force. The 22-year-old Brit breaks into an impassioned rant on modern life, her wants and desires, her likes and dislikes, and her fearlessness hits you like a break in the famous English rain.

The album’s press info boldly states this is an experimental album, and songs like “I Just Love You More” justify that description, with Nash pulling out all sorts of otherworldly vocalizations—wails, shrieks, howls, and stutters—in her plea to the unnamed object of her desire. Her tortured vocals are perfectly matched by the screeching of guitar feedback and a sweeping string section.

Nash follows that up with another sugary, ’60s-inspired track, “Do-Wah-Doo”, an envious litany about the unattainable snot of a girl that men all salivate after. Its cheerful tone is contrasted by tracks like “Mansion Song”, which begins deceptively with floating classical music before Nash launches an astoundingly aggressive monologue that demands and declares her position in the world. (Sample lyric: “I take cocaine I don’t give a fuck about her / I want your name / I can get fucked like the best of men / Like the best of men like the worst of pain inflicted”¦”) After the rant, “Mansion Song” morphs into a floor-pounding diatribe anchored by furious toms and distorted, lullaby-like vocals.

My Best Friend is You runs the audio gamut, with Nash pulling in inspiration from anywhere and anywhen. “Take Me to a Higher Plane” has hints of in-your-face riot-grrl thrash mixed in with a little Dexys Midnight Runners, while “I’ve Got a Secret” combines a vaguely Middle Eastern feel with grunge and industrial-rock influences. Nash even delves into the indie-folk realm on songs like “You Were So Far Away”, a mellow acoustic finger-picker with just a dash of jazz organ.

Not all of it is my particular cup of Earl Gray. “Later On”, swaddled in ethereal noise, synthesized strings, and staccato snare, ends up sounding like it’s the missing song from the soundtrack of The NeverEnding Story. But it’s difficult not to appreciate the breadth displayed by our newest girl crush on her sophomore album.

And while Nash must endure endless comparisons to foul-mouthed Brit pop princess Allen, that evaluation is only partially accurate. Allen gleefully takes the piss out of everything and everyone—her city, her lovers, and even her pothead younger brother. Nash has got the same antagonistic chip on her shoulder, but she brings more diversity to her musical styles than Joe Strummer’s goddaughter does.

Besides, Nash is way cuter.

Download This: “I Just Love You More”