Nellie McKay - Get Away From Me (CD)

Serious potential to shake up the music world

By johnt  Jun 12, 2005

Pros: Nice variety of song styles

Cons: Her next CD will be even better

I was driving to the Fed X building to drop off a package when I first heard Nellie McKay playing and speaking live on 89.5 fm WPKN in Bridgeport Conn. Though dropping off this time sensitive package was of deep importance to me I was glued to the ra...dio station and could not leave my car, held captivated by this fascinating young woman. Each time she’d play a song on the keyboard the musical and lyrical value were not typical of what I normally hear most singer song writers perform i.e straight ahead rhythms, predictable forms, simple chords, typical “I love you” words etc... I was impressed. Not only that, the answers she gave to the well informed DJ interviewing her were startling intelligent, thoughtful and witty. She kept me on the edge. Imagine my surprise when I found out she was only 19! My curiosity was peaked after the interview and when I returned home I immediately went to the Google search engine and put in her name. This quickly led me Nellie’s web sight and there I got a little more insight to this talented musician. The following day, my dear friend TJ Orlando called me up and we chatted about all things as usual and I eventually mentioned my hearing Nellie. Where upon TJ gave out a hearty yell and said she had just been given a package regarding the young songstress. I had TJ quickly send me the 2 discs which make up Nellie first major label release “Get Away From Me”. Most probably a title spoof on Nora Jones' “safe” cd “Come Away With Me”. Apparently, Nellie wanted to call this double CD “Penis Envy” but I guess that title was too scary for some retail stores who seem more comfortable selling violent computer games - but that’s a whole other subject. Maybe for the next CD, when she’s a national star, they’ll give her more leeway. Anyway, after repeated listenings I must say, I was not disappointed. Here is a genuine super musical talent. Not the kind of one dimensional talent found on American Idol but a multifaceted artist who is bursting at the creative seams. Nellie’s song writing compared to 99% of what most artists do when releasing a full disc, is extremely eclectic which taken by itself is a breath of fresh air. Her vocals and subtle arrangements and of course precise production by Beatle engineer turned producer, Geoff Emerick glue it all together. And there is an energy in each song/performance that seems to be more interested in trying to break new musical ground than trying to win the hearts of safe commercial radio. Don’t get me wrong, Nellie’s music is pop but left of center pop. That’s what attracts me to it. Though obviously brought up in an age of rap, Nellie has cleverly incorporated this and other contemporary styles with old world aesthetics found in earlier 20th century song writers like Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein, the Beatles (in their mid 60’s experimental phase) and Joni Mitchell. There is also an element of jazz that is pervasive in many of the chord structures Nellie uses. All of this adds up to a unique, charming, potpourri of musical servings with some humor to boot. I could go over each song and describe their uniqueness but I think that should be a surprise for the listener who goes out to purchase this work. The nerve of a young upstart to release such an eclectic debut CD and as a double disc no less! Reminds me of some other American eclectic musical maverick who did the same thing back in 1965: the late great Frank Zappa with his debut double album Freak Out! Well kids, you can freak out on Nellie’s new CD. There is plenty to be inspired by here. She sings well (like a young Doris Day), plays piano like a young Diana Krall, is well versed on mallet instruments and writes lyrics that make you laugh and think! Real interesting combination. As long as Nellie can stay clear of those superficial marketing A&R record company types who try so hard to box an artist into one corner and turn them in to bland one hit wonders, I think we will be hearing a lot more of Nellie. She is the type of artist that can raise the bar for musical talent in these super prefabricated musical times. Yeah, she’s only 19 but man, she has serious potential to shake up the music world. Read more Less