Grading the Lily.

Lily Allen- It's not me, it's you:

Is a follow up to, Alright, Still, released in Dec. '06, and album I found myself liking more than I like to admit. I still wonder how much that has to do with the creepy old man factor, when I thought she was only a 17 or 18 (at best) year old girl. In actuality she's only a few years younger than I. She blends dry catty Briticisms, powder-puff power pop, and pseudo introspective lyricism, to create a facade of vunerability with a girl interrupted wild streak.

Musically, very little of this album I would listen to on my own volition. I typically hate heavily processed studio albums. Last week we covered the Bird and the Bee which straddled that thin line, and came out, for the most part, for the better because of it. I try not to come into a review with a predetermined criticism, but sometimes it's the elephant in the room when evaluating my criticisms. 

I found Lily's last album to be fun and cheeky, and at the times, I thought her lyrics to be quite adult and risque for a young girl, but seeing how she's 23 now, I'm not sure how lenient I can be when the chorus to one of her songs is simply "Fuck you, very, very much". 

A few exceptions throughout were several stripped down tracks. Musically simplified, drum machines at half capacity, and she just sits and bares her soul, dropping the former pretension, found at the front of the album.

I'm curious how much concern she truly has for the issues she addresses. That is to say, if she truly has any real concern over the Sierra Leone blood diamond trade, or if she's just singing to hear her own voice. While I can't pretend to see into her heart on this, I typically frown on preachy artists, no matter what the issue. I don't even like when Bono does it, and he's won Humanitarian awards. Saul Williams, yes. Kanye West, maybe. Lily Allen giving her 2 cent's on God, not gonna happen.

Truth is, her bread and butter are the smash and grab relationship tracks. When she starts to get preachy about the seedy nature of things, I have to tune out. 

Bottom line: I surprised to find this album so well reviewed. That's why I chose it before even listening to it. That and I liked her first LP. I feel this is really aimed to a much more easily impressed audience. I heard it all already last time, and she adds very little new on this effort. Aside from a few stellar tracks peppered throughout, I feel it to be a mediocre follow up at best.