Nadine Shah - Filthy Underneath

A lot has happened since Nadine Shah last put out an album – 2020’s ‘Kitchen Sink’ - both in terms of world affairs and Nadine’s own life. Nearly four years on, ‘Filthy Underneath’ is a different beast, but it’s fair to say that it’s at least as good. This is an album inextricably linked to the context during which it was created: a suicide attempt; the end of her marriage; her role in caring for her mother, who was terminally ill with cancer. While grieving, she listened to Iranian pop icon Googoosh, Indian singer Asha Puthli, and, as she puts it “shitloads” of glam rock. All of these influences come through to some degree, making for a delightfully unique record that’s impossible to pin down. ‘Sad Lads Anonymous’ is sort of Dry Cleaning sprechgesang meets Sam Fender imagery, Nadine offering dry commentary on everything from her home on the southern English coast – a fair distance from where she grew up in the North East – to her own identity, and aspects of her career and life as a musician. It’s followed by the intense, pounding ‘Greatest Dancer’, with its trippy synths. ‘See My Girl’ is more mellow, with her vocals taking centre stage. Nadine looks at the “Scandi beauty” she sees when she looks back at pictures of herself and her mother. “I see her dressed in her leopard print / And I hear her singing out of tune / I am holding a note for her,” she sings. It’s hauntingly beautiful. As is the album closer, ‘French Exit’, which sees Nadine addressing her suicide attempt. The frank manner in which she discusses it here sees her zoom in on the smallest details, painting a vivid, evocative – yet not overly plaintive – picture of the evening. Being aware of the context, it’s not the easiest listen, but it’s extremely rewarding.