Nadine Shah
Fast Food
(Apollo Records)

Nadine Shah’s deep, rich voice lends itself well to the dramatic. Most of the tracks on Fast Food focus on heartache and accusation, and spiky electric guitar often complements the menace in her sound.

Shah’s control over her tracks shines throughout the album, particularly on “Nothing Else to Do.” “There was nothing else to do but fall in love,” she sings for nearly five minutes. The track begins with two voices, but as she repeats the line, the song builds with more vocal layers and more emotions. It’s a clever representation of the mixed emotions of love and doesn’t get boring. “Fool” is another highlight, with tense guitar augmenting Shah sweetly insulting an unfaithful man (“Go let the other girls indulge the crap that you excrete”).

Each track on Fast Food feels honed and clever, but there are moments when that control feels too calculated. I found myself wishing that she would show some cracks or grit. Every song is beautiful, but the intensity of her lyrics does not always show in her delivery. Still, Shah comes across as a self-possessed, clever writer with a sharp tongue, and she seems like she would be great to have a drink with after a show. Provided you don’t cross her, of course.