Mouthwash (song)

"Mouthwash" is a song by Kate Nash. On 1 October 2007, it was released as her third single, and the second to be taken from her debut studio album, Made of Bricks. The song, which Nash described as a "protest song", includes lyrics in which Nash describes herself and the "confusion of youth".

"Mouthwash"
Single by Kate Nash
from the album Made of Bricks
B-side
  • "Stitching Leggings"
  • "Take 'Em Back"
  • "Dirt (Demo from Iceland)"
Released1 October 2007
GenreIndie rock
Length
  • 5:02 (album version)
  • 3:58 (video edit)
LabelFiction
Songwriter(s)Kate Nash
Kate Nash singles chronology
"Foundations"
(2007)		 "Mouthwash"
(2007)		 "Pumpkin Soup"
(2007)
Music video
"Mouthwash" on YouTube

Upon its release, the song drew both favorable and mixed assessments from music critics. It became Nash’s second top thirty entry on the UK Singles Chart, following her number-two single "Foundations". The single also entered the singles charts in Belgium and Scotland.

Composition

“Mouthwash” is a medium-tempo pop song in the key of D-flat major.[1] It was composed by Nash and Paul Epworth.[1]

The song’s chorus includes the lyrics "I use mouthwash, sometimes I floss, I've got a family and we drink cups of tea”, while in its verses Nash "lists various parts of herself and explains why you can't break her".[2] Its lyrical themes have been likened to "I'm Every Woman" and "I Will Survive."[2] The song has been described as “less combative” than many of the other tracks on Made of Bricks, such as “Foundations”.[3]

Nash stated in an interview that the song is "a protest song that comes from the confusion of youth. I guess it's about not quite being there yet. About not feeling totally sure where you are going but still feeling the need to defend all the things that make you into who you are. We all have routines and things in common, that still somehow manage to be totally unique and personal to you."[4]

Release

The song’s CD single was released in the United Kingdom on 24 September 2007.[2]

Reception

Critical

Upon its release, the song was awarded four stars out of five by BBC Radio 1’s Chart Blog. Writing for that outlet, critic Fraser McAlpine wrote that he would have awarded the song five stars, except for the fact that he considered the song inferior to other Made of Bricks tracks (including “Foundations,” “Merry Happy,” and “We Get On”).[2]

Conversely, Mike Diver, writing for Drowned in Sound, gave the song a score of five out of ten.[4] Diver deemed the song "perfectly pleasant" but continued that it is "half-realised and far from fulfilling."[4]

Commercial

Following its release, the song became Nash’s second Top 30 single in the United Kingdom. On the UK Singles Chart dated 18 August 2007, it debuted at number 84. It re-entered the singles chart dated 15 September 2007, and on the chart dated 7 October 2007, it attained its peak of number 23. It spent a total of ten weeks on the chart.[5]

Track listings

All songs written by Kate Nash.

UK CD
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mouthwash"Nash5:02
2."Stitching Leggings"Nash2:17
UK Vinyl 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mouthwash"Nash5:02
2."Dirt (Demo from Iceland)"Nash6:06
UK Vinyl 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mouthwash"Nash5:02
2."Take 'Em Back" (misprinted as "Take 'Em Out" on the cover)Nash2:19
Digital Download
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Mouthwash" (Hot Chip Remix)Nash5:26

Music video

The music video for "Mouthwash" was shot at the Bristol Hippodrome with the cast of the Starlight Express, who learned two new routines for the video. It features Nash backstage of the theatre, and on stage playing the piano while the show is being performed. The video was directed by Kinga Burza.

Charts
Chart (2007–2008) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[6] 6
Scotland (OCC)[7] 23
UK Singles (OCC)[8] 23

References
  1. "Mouthwash sheet music". NoteFlight. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  2. McAlpine, Fraser. "Chart Blog: Kate Nash.- 'Mouthwash'". BBC Radio 1. British Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  3. Cinquemani, Sal (2 February 2008). "Review: Kate Nash, Made of Bricks". Slant. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  4. Diver, Mike. "Single Review: Kate Nash - 'Mouthwash'". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  5. "Kate Nash: Full Official Charts history". Official Charts. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  6. "Ultratop.be – Kate Nash – Mouthwash" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  7. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  8. "Kate Nash: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
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