Pretty Little Head

When writing about pop music, it seems to be an imperative to categorize an act, to figure out what category they're in, which, in the long run, is pointless and unfair. This is especially true of a performer as eclectic as Nellie McKay, the British-born, New York-based singer-songwriter. McKay, in her early twenties, would seem to have an old soul, drawn to styles of music that are not exactly in the mainstream anymore. Listening to her newest album, Pretty Little Head, I was reminded of artists as diverse as Jacques Brel, Peter Allen, and Cyndi Lauper, who shares a vocal with her on one of the tracks.

The album was originally scheduled for release on Columbia Records, but they wanted to cut some of the tracks. McKay refused, and ended up putting out the album, on two discs, on her own label, Hungry Mouse. The length of the material could have fit on one disc, but McKay wanted to evoke the nostalgia of the double-album.

The music is catchy and for the most part upbeat, with a jazzy, Broadway-show tune panache. There is also a bit of hip-hop in a couple of the tracks, particularly "Columbia is Bleeding," which is not about her old record company but instead animal testing at the research labs of Columbia University. A song called "Tipperary" could have been written in the 1920s, and another called "Gladd" is a sweet and melancholy song. The duet with Lauper is in "Beecharmer," which is a great example of top-40 songwriting.

Lyrically, McKay is a bit cryptic. Reading about the album on Wikipedia I see there is a song about gay marriage and tenants rights, but I didn't get that by multiple listenings. Also, I can sort of see Columbia Records' point. Comparing the list of songs they wanted to include with McKay's final version, there are few songs that seem like throwaways: a brief little song called "Yodel," which does include yodeling, and a couple of songs, "Food," and "Pounce" that sound like commercial jingles. Should McKay become a big star you can bet that "Pounce" will someday be used in a kitty litter commercial.