Nellie McKay “The Big One”

Nellie McKay reminds me of my college roommate’s longtime girlfriend: this girl was undeniably brilliant in all aspects of life–never got less than a 4.0, lit up any room she entered, and selflessly over-burdened herself with progressive causes. But it was her goofy charm and resolute positivity that made me (and everyone) like her so much. McKay gives me the exact same feeling on her remarkable second album, Pretty Little Head. McKay is obviously incredibly bright and musically talented, but most importantly, she’s unpretentious. “Big One” (mp3) is a perfect example. That instantly ingratiating piano riff, sounding like a chopped up sample of a mouse running across a keyboard, is smart, yet hyper; catchy as hell, but less refined and deathly serious than Fiona Apple, to whom she’s often unfairly compared. And the lyrics, especially when spoke/sung in an R&B style over a synthetic funk drum pattern, resonate with an indignation unheard anywhere in mainstream pop music: “As you’re walking down the street/Might wanna skip a beat/Think it over/Walk into the corner store/But it ain’t there no more/If you want a loaf of bread/Try a pharmacy instead”. The song is a seeming contradiction in terms–candy-coated instrumentation and a little-girl voice masking a broad-minded–dare I say liberal–and more than anything, intelligent approach to traditional pop songwriting.

Buy Pretty Little Head here.

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