Nash Shakes Music's "Foundations"

With sincerest flattery, Kate Nash is the new Shania Twain.

If her show at Bowery Ballroom proved anything, it was that Nash is the real deal. It’s clear that she is more in the vein of Twain—despite their extreme stylistic differences—than of Lily Allen or Regina Spektor, although she is often compared to these far-hipper songstresses. Can you hear the furor erupting in Brooklyn?

As in the case of Twain, a super-producer (Paul Epworth) is behind Nash, and with him comes the ability to craft a pop song that is unabashedly commercial but still imbued with the unique artist’s stamp. The transition of these songs onto the live stage can be a difficult task. In Twain’s case, producer Mutt Lange assembled a band and dictated the live sound engineering. Considering the caliber of her live show and the fact that Nash is making the same commercial push, it can only be speculated that the Nash/Epworth team has taken note and acted similarly.

Performing at her American CD release show at Bowery Ballroom on Jan. 9, Nash transcended the hype, impressively rendering her buoyant melodies and observant, witty lyrics to a sold-out crowd heavily populated by industry types from around the world. Onstage, humble to the point of coy in the midst of drunken shouts of “mad bitch,” she sang her playful songs earnestly but with a grin, clearly comfortable with the stage and working the crowd with her girl-nextdoor charm. The smart pairing of keyboard/guitarist Nash with two multi-instrumentalists and an energetic drummer made it clear that Nash and Epsworth have their sights set on breaking the American charts. With live standouts such as “Birds” and “Foundations,” both of which exemplify some of her perfect quirky hooks, Nash seems poised for pop-stardom.

What is certain, however, is that Nash has a talent for songwriting that makes boys swoon and girls sing along. This fact should not be criticized by the false guardians of aesthetics and authenticity on the indie blog radar. Nash, who is only 20 years old, has managed to translate this craft into a live show that offers more than a current “it” girl with bangs and songs about boys. Nash may never achieve the international sales of Twain, but hopefully this live show is the final step for Nash to become a viable starlet with the ability to silence naysayers.