Nadine Shah’s last album, Kitchen Sink, was released to critical claim in 2020. Almost four years later, Shah is back with her latest record, Filthy Underneath. In this age of on-demand entertainment, attention spans last slightly longer than Liz Truss’s time at Number 10, and 3+ years now seems a long time between albums.
This is a shame, though. Surely, an album crafted with care and attention and without pressure from a lack of social media interactions is almost always better than a hastily assembled box ticker for record companies and PR agencies. There are also some personal reasons for the gap in Shah’s CV. The tragic loss of her mother to cancer during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a suicide attempt that resulted in her marriage collapsing. Subsequently, a spell in rehab allowed Shah to hit the reset switch and find herself again. With all that has happened in Shah’s recent life, it’s no wonder we’ve had to wait for the follow-up to the excellent Kitchen Sink.
Filthy Underneath sees Shah teaming up with a new label: the newly-formed EMI North, a branch of EMI that focuses on working with artists from across the north of the UK. Filthy Underneath also happens to be the label’s inaugural release. As one might imagine, Filthy Underground is mainly based on the recent turmoil in Shah’s life. It would be hard for it to be any other way, and Shah sounds comfortable and confident even when talking about the events of her last few years and expressing her emotions. Listen to Kitchen Sink and Filthy Underneath back-to-back, and it’s clear that this new release emphasises melodies and how they come together to help narrate the album.
The opening track, “Even Light”, starts with ghostly synths before exploding into life with high-tempo and a groovy bass rhythm. Shah’s voice is as beautiful as ever, sounding silky smooth and contrasting against the occasional deliberate synth distortion. Then comes Filthy Underground’s lead single, “Topless Mother.” This lightning-paced song takes inspiration from a series of comically tense sessions with a counsellor, who tended to burst into tears whenever a session wasn’t going to plan. In “Topless Mother”, Shah projects her image of a woman bursting free from her old shackles, no longer chained to the pain of her past. Its sound is every bit as powerful as its message.
In “Food For Fuel”, Shah demonstrates the influence Sufi Qawwali musicians such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen have had on her. Her harmonics soar as the drums tick clock-likely, working well to tie her pre- and post-rehab lives together. “You Drive, I Shoot” adopts a slower tempo to create a catchy piece that explores the role of a daughter caring for her mother, who has been rendered more childlike through her illness. Again, Shah’s vocals work wonderfully to bring great depth of emotion, and hints of Middle-Eastern influence are well-married to the synths.
The album’s next track, “Keeping Score”, details Shah’s personal experiences of sexual violence. Though the song’s topic is intimately tragic, it’s also inspirational, with words that are truly poetic and a chorus that’s as powerful as you’d like. Then comes “Sad Lads Anonymous”, a gritty-sounding monologue in which Shah considers her inability to feel at home in any environment. While the song has dark undertones, there’re comedic touches at play, too, such as in the lines’ The sea’s not the only thing here that’s full of shite / You think cold water will save you’. It’s well worth paying careful attention to the words—they’re masterful in meaning and mood.
“Greatest Dancer” lifts the mood substantially, with beating drums and soaring synths and vocals that carry the listener through the track. There’s a lot of pop influence at play here, making it one of the album’s lighter tracks. On first listen, it’s one of the catchier songs, too, though it does tire a little quicker than some of the other songs. “See My Girl” sees the tempo slowed again. Shah’s vocals sound full of mourning as she depicts old images of her and her mother holding hands. While not taking anything away from the lyrics heard throughout Filthy Underneath, the words heard on “See My Girl” command greater attention than the melody. This change in style works well to keep the listener’s attention through a less catchy song.
“Twenty Things” looks intimately at Shah’s time in rehab. While she lost one relationship during that period, she gained many more from perhaps an unexpected place. In “Twenty Things”, Shah talks about these relationships formed while in rehab and her love for the people she met, no matter their background. The biographies of some of those Shah met are touchingly deep, and her words sound straight from her heart. There’s as much emotion here as in any other Filthy Underneath songs. “Hyperrealism” is a dream-like retrospective look at her marriage and how love wasn’t enough to keep it alive. It’s slow and intimate, sounding light but conversely sad in nature.
Filthy Underneath concludes with “French Exit,” a song that takes its name from the act of leaving a social event without saying goodbye. It’s a fitting title to end an album, but the name goes deeper than simply serving as a bookend. It relates to Shah’s attempted (but thankfully failed) suicide attempt. The stark synths create a sense of great sadness during this chapter of Shah’s life, but it’s also a reminder that she has exited that part has ended, and a new chapter is beginning for the talented artist.
So, while it took Nadine Shah some time to create Filthy Underneath, the big question is, was the wait worth it? The answer is an emphatic ‘yes’. Filthy Underneath is packed full of feelings from start to finish, yet there’s never a sense that Shah is dramatising her recent experiences for attention. Shah has also been careful to talk about her suicide attempt without glorifying it in any way, and while everyone has their own story, in Shah’s work, many will find the strength to fight their own struggles. Much attention has been paid to the sound of the album, too. It has been carefully crafted to add atmosphere to Shah’s story and make it as musically beautiful as it is. From start to finish, Filthy Underneath is a wonderful musical journey you’ll want to experience.
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