Nobody likes a loud mouth, but that axiom just doesn't apply to Lily Allen, Britain's latest it-girl who comes to the rest of the world as a rare thing in 2006. Sure, she talks of getting back at her ex-boyfriend in her breakout hit "Smile". Yes, she often alludes to the ridiculous expectations of women in today's society in "Everything's Just Wonderful". And of course, when your demeanor is as naughty as Allen's, she can't help but take a few swipes at her family members, her hometown, and the sleazeballs who dare to pick her up at a pub using cheesy pick-up lines and lame innuendo. It's all nasty banter, but the thing is, it's fun, nasty banter that all resides in a ska-pop setting and is delivered in a bright, shiny package. Throughout "Alright, Still", Lily Allen never sounds like she's taking things too seriously, which only gives her jabs an extra punch. And let's face it, who doesn't think that it's hilarious hearing (and watching in music videos) a seemingly normal girl with a super-sized attitude taking the piss out of the dull seriousness of the pop landscape in 2006? She achieves this right out of the gate in "Alright, Still" with the marvelous open triad of "Smile", "Knock 'Em Out", and "LDN", all of which are obvious single choices with their frothy sense of humor and ironic match of stark lyrics and sunny music. This fusion is as entertaining as it seems, at least, throughout the opening set of songs anyway. The unfortunate side effect of such a high-strung sequence is that things have to come down eventually, and this is nowhere more apparent than in tracks seven through ten, from "Shame for You" to "Friend of Mine". These are all claustrophobic, mechanical songs that still retain Allen's brashness, but now they rely solely on her attitude alone, not the vivacious energy she brought on in the beginning of the record. That's not like saying that this stretch isn't worth listening to, but the experience of listening to them is quite dour when the lyrics seemed contrived, rather than a stream-of-conscious rant. It's not until the final two songs, "Alife" and "Nan You're a Window Shopper" when "Alright, Still" recovers. Swipes at her brother and grandmother respectively, Lily Allen manages to once again brighten things up with even more hysterical insults than before ("I'm just trying to help you out, so would you stop being a twat?"). It's telling that her attack on her personal relationships stand out as the best tracks here, because whenever she tries to broaden the scope and act out a character unrelated to herself, she falls flat. Also in need of attention is the glaring fact that the odds and ends of this record are its strength, which ultimately makes it worth a listen, but this whole confection doesn't have a thick, meaty center. It's mostly due to the aforementioned dead spot in the middle of the album, but what "Alright, Still" proves is that it lives up to its title: we now know that Lily Allen is a cynical brat at heart who won't offer any apologies (and she's all the better for it), but still, what does she have to say beyond this one persona? She can't quite handle a sincere ballad yet, and any attempts at documenting a relationship gone right are undermined by her determination to amplify every annoying part of her personality. True, it's this very personality that fuels her best music, but it also presents her at her worst, which turns "Alright, Still" into something actually quite common: a debut album. There's no doubt that songs like "Smile" and "LDN" are some of the best pop songs released in recent memory, but as a whole, this record doesn't escape the pitfalls of a debut. It has a handful of really great singles, a couple not-good-at-all ballads, and then there's just a bunch of other stuff thrown in to fill out a record's playing time. That's not the absolute best way to start a career, especially from an artist as bull-headed as Allen, but also consider this: out of the many new faces to arrive in the mid-2000s, they all may have a good single to make a one-hit wonder, but Lily Allen has made an album that leaves a long-lasting impression, and it suggests that she could strengthen her weaknesses, and hit even harder the next time out.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Smile 2. Knock ‘Em Out 3. LDN
4. Everything’s
Just Wonderful 5. Not Big 6. Friday Night
7. Shame for
You 8. Littlest Things 9. Take What You Take
10. Friend of
Mine 11. Alfie 12.
Nan You’re a Window Shopper
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