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Lily Allen
I bought her debut album then criiied, criiied!
Albums
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6/10
Producer: Pablo Cook, Greg Kurstin, Mark Ronson, Other
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Smile
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Knock ‘em out
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LDN
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Everything’s just wonderful
- Not big
- Friday night
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Shame for you
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Littlest things
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Take what you want
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Friend of mine
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Alfie
Why do you buy albums? Is it to 1) appreciate fine music? Or 2) is it to cement your place with what’s ‘in’ at the moment, so that you can kick it with those funky ass kids in hoodies you get hanging around the sidewalk outside SPAR? If your answer is 1) well done, I like you. If your answer is 2) then shame on you, buy this album and go kick it. That’s quite a strong opening statement and I have to ask myself are things really that black and white with Lily Allen? Well, the answer is both yes and no. For on this debut album there are indeed songs derived from chart bothering rubbish, yet if you stick with it you will find that there are more good songs than there are bad ones.
Lead single Smile is easily the best the song on the album. It’s exactly what hit singles should be like; the music is full of life, the tempo is bouncy and Allen’s voice sounds great! However, I find it less than surprising to find it as the first track on the album. How many modern musicians place a concentration of great songs at the start of an LP and then forget about the rest of the album? While it is true that the first side of this album is indeed the stronger one, I am pleased to report that good songs can be found on both sides.
I have no shame in admitting that Knock ‘em Out is funny. It’s very reminiscent of The Streets, what with the efforts circling around a spoken story rather than singing. The dancing piano keys are also a nice touch which adds an air of playfulness to the track! LDN is a re-run of Smile, which manages to hold onto everything that made the latter a great single. Everything’s Just Wonderful isn’t half bad either. The keyboards are great and the handclaps substituting drums are really well implemented. In addition to this the lyrics are witty and reflective which all contributes to it being one of the greatest songs on the LP.
Littlest Things is one of my favourite tracks; it’s all rather delightful actually. The backing is almost a reimagining of a classic film noir soundtrack (the single video pointed to as much) while Lily’s sorrowful vocal delivery strikes quite a chord with me.
Now for the songs that either infuriate me or do very little to warrant a recommendation. I make no hesitation in making Not Big the first offender up against the wall. It’s just not funny and what’s even worse is that it thinks that it’s hilarious! It tries to maintain a dark edge while being just about bouncy enough to keep the listener interested. To be honest Lily, I couldn’t care less if you’re a vindictive b*tch and your ex boyfriend has a small member! Shame for You I’m pretty undecided on, with this kind of muddy squelching bass becoming the very backbone of the song. The lyrics are well below par and are cringe worthy to be quite frank, although Lily’s background “uh, uh, uh” is inserted well as a link between the verses.
The closing song Alfie almost persuades me to use the CD as a tea coaster. If I hadn’t paid £5 for it I might have considered it to become more than just a restless thought. I just hate her vocals and again, what are these lyrics? All of the singles are fantastic with the exception of Alfie. As for what is left a lot of it is middle of the road and fairly inoffensive, Lily Allen mostly going down the path of spiteful wit. I look at it this way though; I have conversations this funny with my friends, and further more I don’t have to download them for 79p from iTunes.
As a final comment, I really think that you will appreciate this more if you are female. Most of the songs centre around either getting your own back on the man that’s wronged you, going out clubbing, regretting a relationship, or… No, that’s it.
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Lily Allen
