Pitchfork

While it's far from reaching Clipse-like proportions, the delay on Nellie McKay's sophomore album Pretty Little Head has been substantial, to say the least. Originally slated for release late last year, the album was bumped to January 3 after a shake-up at Nellie's then label, Columbia Records, then shelved indefinitely when McKay split from Columbia over the winter holiday.

McKay essentially shrugged, and went on to star as Polly Peachum in a Broadway production of "The Threepenny Opera" (nabbing a Theatre World Award in the process). Now she's back, ready to put the full force of her own new label, Hungry Mouse, and SpinART's distribution muscle behind the October 31 release of Pretty Little Head-- now in double-disc format. Another two-disc release?? Must be some kind of record, man.

Pretty Little Head features 23 tracks in all, the same 23 tracks McKay fought with Columbia over keeping. It includes duets with Cyndi Lauper and k.d. lang and a 40-page booklet depicting McKay having a ball and raising a brouhaha recording the album.

Disc One:

01 Cupcake
02 Pink Chandelier
03 There You Are in Me
04 Yodel
05 The Big One
06 G.E.S.
07 I Will Be There
08 The Down Low
09 Long & Lazy River
10 I Am Nothing
11 Beecharmer [ft. Cyndi Lauper]
12 Swept Away

Disc Two:

01 Real Life
02 Tipperary
03 Gladd
04 Food
05 We Had It Right [ft. k.d. lang]
06 Columbia Is Bleeding
07 Lali Est Parisseux
08 Happy Flower
09 Mama & Me
10 Pounce
11 Old Enough