Nellie McKay’s Actually 22
Back in May, I wrote in praise of Nellie McKay’s debut double-album, Get Away from Me. In that entry, I referenced a video interview and said “she also seems way older than 19″. As it turns out, she’s 22 (thanks, Waxy):
McKay, who has charmed interviewers across the country with colorful stories about her unconventional 19 years of life, was actually born on April 13, 1982, making her 22, according to her father, London-based director and author Malcolm McKay.In her official biography, as well as interviews given in the past year with the New York Times, USAToday, New York magazine and National Public Radio, McKay has claimed to be 19. Most of the interviews featured her teenage status prominently in overwhelmingly positive stories about her songs. Miers called her a “pop genius.”
Her website still asserts she’s that age. This wouldn’t be worthy mentioning, except that McKay’s handlers made a lot of hay out of the fact she was only 19. The publicist is doing a poor spin job. She first apparently admitted that McKay was 20, then claimed ignorance of the whole issue. That’s some lousy crisis management, and Ms. McKay might want to take her services elsewhere.
Regardless of her actual age, it’s still a great album. The Guardian review puts it well: “dizzying in scope and ambition”. There are a bunch of other reviews on MetaCritic.
