Ick’s Pick (Week VI): Lily Allen – ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’
I decided to go mainstream, and feature young, pretty, n’ wild Lily Allen as my pick of the week. I’ve never owned a Lily album, and I couldn’t have named a Lily song before this week, but hot diggity ding dang, I am smitten with this cheeky lass!
I knew I’d gone mainstream when I heard “The Fear” piping through my local gas station mini-mart today. One of those gas stations that features those window repair cretins that prowl the pumps and point out blemishes on your windshield. “Your insurance will pay for it. I can fix it for you in 5 minutes.” “No thanks.” [he chuckles condescendingly] “But your insurance will PAY FOR IT! Why don’t I just take care of it for you real qu-” *SMACK* upside the head. Okay that last part was made up. Sorry, I got sidetracked.
Right. Lily Allen. My favorite off the album is a rip on her man that can’t perform between the ol’ sheets: “No Fair”. Quick tempo. Some sort of futuristic electro-hillbilly beat, with Lily’s biting lyrics hiding behind her sweet voice:
Oh I lie here in the wet patch
In the middle of the bed
I’m feeling pretty damn hard done by
I spent ages giving head
Then I remember all the nice things that you ever said to me
Maybe I’m just overreacting maybe you’re the one for meThere’s just one thing that’s getting in the way
When we go up to bed you’re just no good
It’s such a shame
I look into your eyes I want to get to know you
And then you make this noise and it’s apparent it’s all over
Other standout tunes for me: “Everyone’s At It”, “Never Gonna Happen”, and yes, “The Fear”.
“Fuck You” is good novelty fare I guess. Starting off with the piano riff from the Carpenters “Close To You”, and leading to a sunny chorus that sings “Fuck You / Fuck you very very much…”. I guess it’s directed at the former U.S. Prez.
Overall, I like the vibe of the album. Lily has a great voice with that sexy Mockney accent. The production and instrumentation leans toward electro-pop, something I can enjoy. The fact that Lily Allen is 23 years old and can write catchy pop tunes that a 38 year old dude can enjoy is testament to her talent.
But I’ll be damned if I’ll let my 2 young daughters near this album.
- Sweet Deal: Buy It’s Not Me, It’s You for $3.99 at Amazon. Not sure how long it’ll last, but you can’t really beat that.
- Lily’s Official Site | Twitter
Here’s my favorite – “Not Fair”…
4 Comments
Michael
Did you know Lily’s Godfather was Joe Strummer?
If you have not heard Alright Still yet it’s really quite good and worth a listen. A bit more ska influenced but poppy all the same…
Gonzo
I second the nod to Alright, Still.
I’ve only listened to the new one twice. I absolutely love the first two tracks, and appreciate the commentary on celebrity in “The Fear.” Overall, I like the stylistic move here from the last album (including production style), but I’d really like her to move away from these cheeky sex/relationship songs. She’s got such a voice. Her part on Common’s “Drivin’ Me Wild” totally made clear that she can set the cheekiness aside, which I think would do her well.
jazzmaster
Doesn’t she have a third nipple?
Sorry. I think I read that once. Now that’s all I can think about when I see/hear her name.
And, now that’s what you’ll think about, too.
😛
jazzmaster
Yeah… It’s true:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JbieSOsMIk