Marie Monday

Riot grrrl revamp: Kate Nash’s Girl Talk

In which a British indie pop lass and off-brand Lily Allen (that’s not entirely fair, sorry Kate) embraces her inner riot grrrl. The result is just as flawed and clunky as you probably think it is, but it’s also a marvellous masterpiece and a work of art and I love this album till death do us part. It’s one of those endeavours in which even the missteps are endearing because they feel like the result of someone having a tunnel vision and getting carried away with their pet project; it feels genuine. I imagine Kate’s manager shaking their head in despair while she’s like ‘Oi I’m gonna start a riot grrrl revival’ and proceeds to record a song called Rap for Rejection.

There’s not that much loud punk on here, but nonetheless this album has zero chill. From the bleak, depressive opening song (‘and it doesn’t matter/how many colours I paint my nose/I still feel the same’, I love it) it moves on to the song with the worst punny title ever ('Fri-end?' about, yes, a broken friendship), which is a fun piece of pop-punk. I love the riff and the yelling at the end which resolves into harmony. Also, the music video (inlcuded below) features gloriously awkward dancing and yellow lipstick. Giiirl. The next song throws in the really random sexually suggestive ‘doctor, doctor, my temperature is rising’ (??? chill the **** out, Kate) and a catchy chorus that goes ‘burn burn, burn my heart baby’. The song after that can be skipped, but if you sit through it you’re rewarded for your patience with Sister, which is a proper quasi-lesbian heartbreak screamfest (don’t be mistaken by the wanky acoustic intro). I honestly think this grooves, the way her delivery combines with the guitar. And her voice rules. The next song is a dull one again and the one after that is a bit wanky too, but I like it; it’s atmospheric and has a nice bit of screaming at the end (automatic +10 points in my book). Then we get the next actual riot grrrl song, All Talk, in which Kate actually speaks the magic words ‘I’m a feminist’ (‘…and if that offends you/then **** you’ lmao). It has a fun riff too, and repetition which actually works. The fun continues with Conventional Girl, with its melodies, whoo-hoo’s, and (yet again) screams. 3AM is ok filler saved by more whoo-hoo’s, which leads up to the moment supreme:

Rap for Rejection deserves its own paragraph. It just entirely lives up to all the hopes of its promising title; it’s bratty and crude and will convince no sexist man on earth that they’re wrong, but **** them, this song wasn’t made for those losers. I’ll just let some of the lyrics speak for themselves:
delivered in ultimate static white girl rap style which surpasses even Taylor Swift’s rap in Shake It Off. Unassailable. Things can’t get any better than this.

And they don’t, the next song is one of the more boring ones (despite featuring both screams and whoo-hoo’s). Maybe it’s just a letdown after the marvel that is Rap For Rejection. The next song doesn’t stand out either, but at least it’s moody, which fits with the album’s ending. It is followed by a strummy acoustic bit which I appreciate in itself, but more so as an introduction to the minimal (pretty much solo vocals), depressive Lullaby for an Insomniac. This does feel like a gimmicky ‘authentic’ thing but she pulls it off quite well. Her voice sounds sincere and (I’m gonna be an honest wuss about it) quite moving.

So in short, Kate Nash, if you read this: I don’t know what compelled you to make this weird piece of work (except divine inspiration) but you’re a hero for doing so. It has been a valuable companion in my life for years.

Fun fact: her record label was like ‘hell no we’re not releasing this’ so she went on to do it herself like a badass


Choice tracks:

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