Kate is back in the biggest and best way imaginable, bringing with her a formidable vengeance for you to rock out to. Yesterday Was Forever is a 14-piece record of pure angst, bringing out everything that made Kate such an indie icon back in 2008 and reintroduces you to one of the most badass women in modern pop-rock. Strap yourself in, because this throwback record is one of the most fun listens to come out of 2018.

The opening of ‘Life In Pink’ sets the album up brilliantly: a soft acoustic guitar beginning creates the illusion that Kate has perhaps toned down her sound to a more sophisticated structure. However, when the chorus hits, it’s bigger and better than anyone could have hoped for. You can truly feel the raw emotion from her voice and, as the wave of intense instrumental washes over her tones, the track transforms into a pure rock anthem that even most heavy rock bands would tremble in the knees before. A phenomenal reintroduction to Kate’s truly unique sound.

This initial crossing of classic grunge with modern pop feels remarkably fresh but, as the following tracks prove, Kate is no one trick artist and the further into this record we delve, the more it continues to show us drastically different sides to this wonderfully ambitious artist. The following ‘Call Me’ brings a far slower, almost Caribbean feel to it through some highly summery guitar and dancing bassline, however, the clean feel to an acoustic chorus shows off some of Kate’s blissfully diverse high notes before hitting back with that chilled breezy verse again. This diversity truly has no limits and I can genuinely say this is the only album I’ve come across this year in which NO two tracks feel in any way resemblant of one another, yet still are produced in such a cohesive way that they still blend excellently.

The narratives behind this record are something which many will either love or hate. They’re simple, focusing on the mundanity yet beautiful messiness of modern life, whilst drawing back to a sense of disillusioned nostalgia. You can certainly feel the 90s retrospectives in tracks such as ‘Take Away’ and ‘California Poppies’, both of which create a fuzzy, pastel covered imagery and grunginess which you can’t help but fall in love with.

If I was to choose a single highlight of the record, it’d be ‘Karaoke Kiss’. The track not only brings forth a disco vibe which we haven’t seen yet, but covers almost everything that makes Kate Nash such a special name. The blend of sci-fi electronica crossed with modern pop bounciness is brilliant and makes for one of the most chanting choruses of the year; you can certainly imagine entire neon lit venues singing along and dancing to this one and it really shows, definitely a summer time playlist staple.

Overall, Yesterday Was Forever will definitely be a record which will split audiences, for those who are looking to delve into some intense abstract meanings behind each track, there are none. However, those simply looking to have a good time to some bouncy and fun beats, you’ll be in your element. The latter is perhaps the better way to interpret the album, as the driving force of this record is nothing but nostalgia, expressive angst and having a good time, which I personally argue adds to its character and intrigue. This is not a record that will go down in history for completely reinventing music but, instead, offers a fantastic reintroduction to an indie icon who is proving she still has a lot more to give. Yesterday Was Forever has the potential to infiltrate the modern pop scene with some incredibly raw material compared to over produced saturation, we need more outspoken artists like Kate Nash. With bands such as Anteros blooming across the UK indie scene, Kate could perhaps be the catalyst to send this style over the edge.

Ben Walker

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