♫ My Best Friend Is You | A

It's easy to silence the critics by not responding to their jeers. But if you're Brit pop singer/songwriter Kate Nash, you silence their snickering by upstaging their expectations in the studio. Nash, whose 2007 debut Made of Bricks, was met with some unnecessary pandering, has come back at her haters with her highly anticipated sophomore release My Best Friend Is You.

Immediately from the first note of her wall-of-sound ode "Paris," Nash is quick to get on the backs of the critics, knowing she has got the naysayers cornered about her lack of inspiration. But the parallel to the track is its honest perception about hopes for a meaningful relationship. This is indeed the underlying theme to this girl group centric record, combining Nash's brash, cockney vocal styling with a careless outlook on a scorned love life.

Borrowing heavily from various girl groups, Nash finds influence in girl bands like the Slits, giving a loud and shrieking appeal to a track like "I Just Love You More." Still beyond some of the most lyrically vile and deep, emotionally rooted tracks, sing-song melodies and an ever present hand clap track on songs like "Early Christmas Present" and "Kiss That Grrrl" keeps the album firmly pop.

Part of Nash's songwriting appeal lies in her British scowl and her nature for writing for a young mind that likes to take music seriously but relate to an immature subject matter at time. The album's lead single "Do Wah Doo" displays a childish nature but a high production that easily works for a Top 40 audience.

While her originality shines brightly here, it is Nash's use of what is already established and what has worked that takes this simple pop record and makes it a luxurious mainstream gem. Some may find it too bubblegum-like, but My Best Friend Is You is a great example of expansion and not just another generic pop record.