Though the title of British bad girl Lily Allen’s second album claims that it’s not about her, it’s actually almost entirely about her. It’s Not Me, It’s You, much like her 2006 debut Alright, Still, is covered in her fingerprints and the personal pronouns “I” and “me” pop up on nearly ever minute of the record. But, at the end of the day, that is what we enjoy about Lily Allen and she has a personality that is big enough and saucy enough to carry a record. Though some of the punky ska influences haven’t made their way their way from her debut to the new record, the music is well-crafted dance pop of the British variety which boasts a nice musical diversity evidenced in one example by the country-western flavor of “Not Fair.”
Allen has also brought her own irreverent cleverness back in a new batch of songs. This time around Allen sets here sights on a few easy targets. Of course, there are songs addressed to the young men who have broken her heart and the other fellas who just don’t do it for her (territory she also covered on her debut). There is also an explicitly-titled song addressed to George W. Bush which certainly shows off her spunky attitude and potty mouth but feels a bit outdated only one month into into President Obama’s term. Allen doesn’t end her tirade there, she issues a few attacks vaguely addressed to “society” and how they handle celebrity. Though her reference to “society” feels a bit juvenile, listening to Allen reflect on her new found fame and all that comes with it is one of the highlights of the record. Allen is struggling to keep her bearings and live a normal life in a world that wants to make her casual comments into headlines on music websites– that’s a tough thing to accept and she captures the emotions that stem from it very well in these songs.
What is remarkable about Allen and what separates her from the tepid, bland music being made by her contemporaries is that she has a strong sense of craft which has aided her in making music that is full of her personality. After listening to Allen’s American counterpart, Katy Perry, you don’t really have a sense of what she’s all about– but Allen’s music allows her audience to learn about who she is albeit in a limited sense. Though, It’s Not Me, It’s You is neither as clever nor as fun as Allen’s debut, it is a very worthy follow-up and if you don’t quite get her punchy, quirky style, well, as the title indicates, the fault does not lie with Lily Allen.
Lily Allen
It’s Not Me, It’s You
EMI; 2009
Rating: 3.5/5.0
March 2, 2009 at 5:32 am |
[...] young artist like her, there is seem to be alot of scrutiny from the media. I am really enjoying this album. Gone are the 2-Step, Garage (the British way of saying it) sound. Also gone is Mark Ronson [...]