Stop Press! A decent Lily Allen album! (It's Not Me It's You - Lily Allen)

Member Name: leetemplar

Product:	It's Not Me It's You - Lily Allen
Date:	07/04/09 (57 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great tunes and production

Disadvantages: Still some crap lyrics

I have to admit I loathed the first Lily Allen album. I considered the plinky plonky, mockney travesties with toe-curling, patronising lyrics to be absolutely beyond contempt. It was iredeemably poo.

So imagine my dismay when my girlfriend bought Allen's second album, and my surprise when I actually found myself quite liking it. Produced by Greg Kurstin, the man who was also recently behind the excellent, 80s-tinged Ladyhawke album, this album actually contains some credible, stomping and, dare I say it, actually quite good songs.

While still a million miles from the urban poet she considers herself to be, Allen's lyrics are nowhere near as irritating as on 'Alright, Still', possibly because the words get lost slightly in the glossy pop sheen. If you listen carefully they still grate slightly - such as on the childlishly potty-mouthed 'F*** You' - but not enough to detract from what is a decent slice of pop. There's also more emphasis on her rather sweet singing voice, rather than the scattergun delivery of rubbish lyrics, as there was last time.

Standout tracks are the single 'The Fear', and 'Who'd Have Known', a cheery song that plunders mercilessly from Take That's 'Shine' (but is at least credited as such).

So a massive surprise for a dyed-in-the-wool Lily hater! Not a bad album at all...

Summary: A massive, massive surprise