Nellie McKay - Get Away From Me

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Free Music Notes for Get Away From Me

Free Music Review: Fresh and Original
Hit: 5 Stars

The album -- which spans two CDs because she likes the idea of switching discs like people used to switch vinyl records -- is comprised of 18 tracks of diverse styles and subject matter. After one listen, you will be hard-pressed to find another artist who veers back and forth from different emotions and musical genres with such ease, while never sounding insincere or scattered. The insane side of her psyche makes up 90 percent of the album, and it is clear she is most engaging when she gets in touch with this side of her personality.

The '80s throwback "Waiter," which McKay intended to write for Cher, developed into a subtle anti-war song.

She can also be heard criticizing the daily routine of working-class Americans on "Work Song" because -- as she says in a promo CD -- she so dislikes "how we've succumbed to a lifestyle that has turned us into human machines."

On "Sari," she both sings and raps, venting her frustrations about rude people who see no problem with judging and contradicting her.

She also knows how to have a lot of fun with her music. Her joy is more than evident on "The Dog Song" and "It's a Pose," which are both condescending toward men. In the former, she likens a man to a dog she walks on a leash, while on the latter she makes cynical, downright hilarious generalizations about men and their flaws. A male voice even routinely interrupts her, but she is always prepared with a slew of comebacks.

It's hard not to laugh at the lyrics to "Won't U Please B Nice," one of her earliest attempts at songwriting:

"If you would sit /Oh so close to me/That would be nice/Like it's supposed to be/If you don't/I'll slit your throat/So won't u please b nice?/Now you've married me/Sugar and spice/Like it's supposed to be/If you go/I'll get your dough/So won't u please b nice?"

At 19, McKay has already created a masterful album that will be difficult to follow-up. If the right people catch wind of this album, which adorns the parental advisory label for a reason, next year's Grammy Awards may very well be the Nellie McKay show.

Get Away From Me Poster

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