Customer Reviews

Get Away From Me (Clean)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a totally terrific cd. The title seems an obvious jibe at Norah Jones' "Come Away with Me." I like Norah Jones' music, but Nellie McKay's cd has an energy and an eccentricity that are miles beyond. Maybe the best comparison is to Van Dyke Parks' "Song Cycle": "Get Away from Me" is another incredibly accomplished first record by a singer-songwriter-pianist who draws upon all sorts of musical influences to make songs that are completely distinctive.

The songs that really stand out (after one day's listening): "David," "Manhattan Avenue," "Sari" ("sorry"), "The Dog Song," "I Wanna Get Married," "Won't U Please B Nice." I hear many influences in this music--reggae, Tom Waits, Rickie Lee Jones, "The Beach Boys Love You" (the loopiest B Boys album), and sixties pop in all sorts of ways. McKay's piano at the start of "Manhattan Avenue" evokes the theme from "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," and the her brief piano solos here and elsewhere often suggest Thelonious Monk. Her lyrics are fast, sharp, and artfully rhyming: "i wanna get married / yes i need a spouse / i wanna nice leave it to beaver-ish / golden retriever / and a little white house." Her voice has incredibly flexibility and range. And in the words of Muddy Waters, "she's nineteen years old"! I hope Nellie McKay keeps making records for a very long time.

If you're wondering about "explicit" and "clean": I bought the "explicit" version (the "everything on it" version, as the record store clerk called it). The Parental Advisory seems to be a matter of three or four well-chosen instances of the f-word (or variants thereof). I'd have no problem letting my teenaged children listen to it.

Nellie McKay is so different. The first time I heard her sing on TV, I was spellbound by her talent. She's young, yet has a wisdom in her music that is well beyond her years. Her songs often sound silly and playful, but as often carry deeper ideological messages. Common themes: Her dislike of the bureacracy, the President, etc. Yet her music isn't so over-the-edge that you can't enjoy it or relate to it if you disagree with her.

Her songs range from playful, lively (the Dog Song), sometimes super-fast lyrics (David), to silky crooning jazz (Manhattan Avenue). If you want something both beautiful and different than what you're hearing on pop radio, this is worth checking out.

Nellie McKay shows in her charmingly-titled debut "Get Away From Me" that she is definitely one of the fresher musical voices out there. She has the energy and voice nailed down -- what her songs need is further maturity and a bit of songwriting polish. (Not to mention a rhyming dictionary)

In a sprawling two-disc album, McKay runs her full range of songs with rap (the gritty girlie-rap "Sari"), countryish pop (the amusing anti-male "It's A Pose"), punkish stuff ("Inner Peace"), classical instruments given a new spin (piano-based "Work Song"), poppish reggae ("David") and jazz ballads ("Won't U Please B Nice?"). What are the songs about? Blasting men, domestic dreams, politics, pets, masturbation and "my clonie."

At nineteen, McKay shows a lot of budding talent that will probably be a force to be reckoned with in future years. She's pretty solid here, but not as good as one senses she could be someday. Even so, she's more eclectic and inventive than many of the singers/bands out there.

Musically, she uses a mix of pop, rock, Tin Pan Alley, hip-hop, jazz, rap, country, and... oh, just about everything in modern music aside from metal. And in keeping with the wide range of musical types, there's an instrument for everyone, from cellos to accordians, from the violins and clarinet to the xylophone and Spanish guitar.

Her songwriting is a mix of the witty ("I wanna pack cute little lunches/for my Brady Bunches") and weird (the entire "Clonie" song -- hello, tortured rhymes!). In these, her youth makes itself pretty evident -- they can be simple and almost goofy at times. A joke on her part? Maybe. She obviously has inspiration and talent, and an appealingly edgy outlook, but needs to work on what she has in places.

McKay's voice is, of course, the centerpiece of the whole album. And it's a pretty good voice, very flexible and versatile, capable of being wispy one moment and throaty the next. Her rapping in "Sari," however, is a disappointment. She's no Eminem; she's more like Blondie vocalist Deborah Harry, whose rapping efforts haven't been too great either.

Nellie McKay's double-disc debut has a unique flavour that few singers have. Despite some chunks of musical inexperience and wobbly writing, "Get Away From Me" is amusing and brings back memories of music past, with a new spin.

Nellie McKay is brilliant. No 19 year old should have this much polish and verve. Her music--all original--is extremely strong and diverse (show tunes to rap) and she sells everything with a brassy gusto that is amazing to behold. I recommend this set to all my friends and if Nellie sells worldwide the way she's selling in Minnesota, she'll have a long and rewarding career. What a talent!

I heard about Nellie McKay in a New York Times review on the web, and I thought I would check out the music without anyone telling me what it would be like. Her debut album is amazing! Listening to the lyrics, I am continuously floored by the wit and catchiness of the music. The raps are chalk-full of amazing one liners, and each song has its own intimate character. The whole never gets stale, and I have listened to it at least 50 times.

Nellie McKay is AMAZING!
I have nothing but praises for her phrases.
I heard her and immediately ordered her debut CD. I certainly have been amused. This girl is truly UNIQUE. (On 'David'... "Mr Bushie says- I'm your president-I have lots to say-hey hey hey- and click goes the remote-there you have my vote" so very clever!) This young singer is an able ENTERTAINER - she is not a one-trick pony - she does it all. And all very well!
To borrow her phrase - Blah blah blah.
I'm certain this debut CD is just the first showing of what will be a VERY long successful career.

Nellie McKay is a breath of fresh air. From the moment I put the this on I was drawn to the fresh, earnest creativity exhibited. This is an impressive debut from a talented young lady.

Nellie McKay's big debut album is a sprawling tour de force, and even though not everything clicks, it's usually on target enough to be one of the more interesting records I've heard lately.

I must admit that I was unfamiliar with McKay until I encountered her on Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" radio show and was sufficently impressed to get McKay's new CD "Normal As Blueberry Pie," a tribute to Doris Day, so as to listen to more of her work. What I've encountered since has only confirmed my respect for her talent.

"Get Away From Me" is by no means a perfect project. Some songs sound a bit too clever for their own good, coming across as more sophomoric than insightful, such as "It's A Pose" on side 2 of this double disc set. However, for the most part, McKay is in brilliant form here as she plays effectively with cabaret, folk, jazz, and pop genres that seem to call on every influence from Patricia Barber, Petula Clark and Marianne Faithfull to Kirsty MacCall, Alanis Morrisette and Victoria Williams, with maybe a little Madeleine Peyroux and Dory Previn thrown in for an extra measure of charm and hard-headed worldly observation (old-fashioned rock 'n' roll is about the only tack she doesn't try on this release). There are even some songs where her vocals sound a bit like Kate Bush and her verses have the storytelling approach of Kate Jacobs at her best. There are notes that would not be out of place on an old Cindy Lee Berryhill LP or Judy Henske acoustic blues masterpiece. And yet, through it all, McKay manages to make each lyric ring true with a style that is totally her own. It is indeed a tremendous accomplishment for an artist as young as she was when this introduction was issued.

What I mean is, McKay shows a wide range of abilities on this album. Ably produced by Geoff Emerick, at least a half dozen tunes are immediately ear-catching, another five or six are worth checking out as signs of her growing musical maturity, and only a few strike one as filler material. My personal favorites include the bright arrangement on "David," the sleek hip-hop of "Sari," the wry commentary on "Ding Dong," and the funky "Dog Song" on Side 1. Side 2 has just as many winners with the almost cinematic "Toto Dies," the lounge lizard torch song twist of "Won't U Please B Nice?" and the topical, upbeat riff called "Clonie," about the joys and sorrows of self-absorption. In between the highlights, numbers like "Baby Watch Your Back," "I Wanna Get Married," and "Respectable" offer their own subtle pleasures and reward repeated attention to their often inspired instrumentation and creative wordplay.

Although I might rate "Normal As Blueberry Pie" slightly higher as a more consistent record in an artistic sense, "Get Away From Me" certainly serves as a decent place to start appreciating the considerable intelligence and genuine, playful wit that characterize Nellie McKay's early burst of songwriting skill, and her warm approach to the craft of making music that will last. Perhaps the best recommendation I can give is that this record leaves me wanting to discover still more of McKay's repertoire, and that is always a promising sign for any first effort.

Listen to "Get Away From Me" with an open mind and willingness to explore new musical ground and you will be happy that you did. This young woman is going places.

A superb album of great breadth of style. She has a delightful voice and tackles tough topics. I loved it -- and I'm nearly 60!

I love this CD! Had to buy the clean version for a 10-year old who also likes the music.