Nadine Shah’s debut album is an eerie experience; it’s a bit like that call from your mates at the pub when you’re having a quiet night in. You want to resist but you can’t because you just want to have a great time.
With song names like ‘Dreary Town’ and ‘The Devil’ you know that it’s not going to be a “happy” album but nevertheless, it’s an emotive one. In ‘Dreary Town’ her voice warbles “I’m not going to follow you to the ground / darling I’m leaving this dreary town” over a pensive piano that haunts you for hours afterwards.
‘Aching Bones’ opens the album, and in a way it wouldn’t go amiss on a Bond soundtrack. With its moody guitar riff and an out of tune triangle it gains memento and takes you on a sinister ride.
This is an intense album that feels very raw and not over-produced, which only adds to the beautiful melancholic emotions. When you discover that whilst recording the album, two of Shah’s friends passed away, it takes on a whole new significance. Like when you see a film that’s ‘based on a true story’; your emotions multiply. Lyrics like “they name you dumb / they name you mad” are reference to the mental illnesses her deceased friends were suffering with.
I haven’t even got on to her voice. It’s so perfect for this album and the themes she explores. There’s a painful quality but it’s absolutely wonderful at the same time. The northern twang on certain words adds to its grittiness whilst her voice soars and dips throughout the album.
It’s not one for background music, this requires all your attention, and unlike a Kardashian it deserves it. With hints of Annie Lennox and PJ Harvey, I wouldn’t be surprised if she receives a Mercury Prize nomination for this foreboding debut album.
A very lovely, if at times terrifying, collection of songs. We’re gonna give Nadine 8/10 for some great tracks and for her loving her friends and parents.
Love Your Dum and Mad was released on 22nd July through Apollo Records.
