This past weekend is the first in
a while that I haven’t bought a new album. I half-heartedly tried to sell one (Liz
Phair’s “Juvenilia”), but was coldly rebuffed “High Fidelity” style by the
record store owner. That’s fine though, I’m glad to keep it.
Disc 890 is….Alright, Still
Artist: Lily
Allen
Year of Release: 2006
What’s up with the Cover? This cover shouldn’t work, but
it does. A hodgepodge of images loosely based on the infectious tune about
London (“LDN)” that appears on the
record. Lily herself looks great, the perfect combination of sass and playful,
with a look on her face that lets you know there’s a whole lot going on behind
those eyes.
How I Came To Know It: This is one of Sheila’s albums,
recommended to her by a friend and former coworker.
How It Stacks Up: We have two of Lily Allen’s three albums, and
I like them both but I think I like “Alright, Still” the best so I’m ranking it
#1; a traditional practice when discussing things we like best.
Ratings: 4 stars
You expect
an album beginning with a song titled “Smile”
to put a smile on your face, and Lily Allen’s “Alright, Still” does not
disappoint. This is a fine piece of pop art that defies genres and is
delightfully brave and crazy throughout.
Allen is
a diminutive Brit with a consistently sharp wit and an occasionally foul mouth,
who sings about sex and the life of the single girl in London. It is irresistible
pop music, tinged with reggae beats and hip hop flavour. Allen’s greatest skill
is her timing which is as sharp as any rapper, but it never comes at the
expense of her voice, which is rich and sweet. The combination is an album that
makes you tap your feet, lifts your soul and puts a wry smile on your face.
Despite the
upbeat feel to the record, there is an undercurrent of a nasty breakup that
keeps the record grounded. This is an album full of women scorned and out on the
town looking for a drink, a fuck or a fight with equal enthusiasm.
There is
no better example of this juxtaposition than the opening track, “Smile” which has an Amy Winehouse hip hop/jazz
feel to it that loosens your spine and makes you want to dance and drink a
martini. The song’s tune is friendly, but the lyrics are a dismissal of an
ex-lover, not a dream for rapprochement. This is a girl that smiles when she imagines
her ex having a cry. No self-loathing here; the tears on “Alright, Still” are
for the idiots foolish enough to cross the woman with the microphone.
Even
more fun is Allen out on the town. “Knock
‘Em Out” is a song about extricating yourself from some loser buying you a
drink that you have no interest in. This is a problem I’ve never encountered
but I understand is a rampant condition of beautiful women. The song works in a
trilling piano and some wanton horn flourishes to add to the carnival
environment at is every pick up bar ever.
Equally
fun is “Friday Night” but this time
rival girls at the club are the target of Allen’s sharp tongue. The song has a
sultry bass and funky beat and hilarious lyrics like:
“In the club make our way to the
bar
Good dancing love, but you should
have worn a bra.”
And my
personal favourite dig from a nasty song about an ex called “Not Big” which isn’t content to advertise
a man’s shortcomings, without adding what a bore he was in the sack:
“I could see it in your face when
you give it to me gentle
Yeah you really must think you’re
great
Let’s see how you feel in a
couple of weeks
When I work my way through your
mates.”
Despite
multiple zingers on “Alright, Still” that are just as good as that, they lose
something without the infectious melody of the song and Allen’s flawless
delivery. Like a good nightclub story, it just doesn’t translate if you don’t experience
it yourself.
Near the
end of the record the momentum gets a little blunted. “Little Things” is supposed to be more heartfelt, but it was missing
the edge of the earlier tracks. “Take
What You Want” sounds a lot like a Blur song (I don’t really like Blur) and
“Friends of Mine” is a passable
reggae song, but I prefer when the record strays into the reggae beat rather
than giving itself over to it wholeheartedly. None of these songs are terrible;
they just aren’t as incredible as the ones that preceded it. By this point I had
so thoroughly fallen for Allen’s charms it didn’t matter.
The
record ends with “Alfie”a song about
her brother, Alfie Allen (who is most famous for playing Theon Greyjoy on Game
of Thrones). This is long before Alfie eclipsed his sister’s fame, and here she
takes obvious delight painting him as a couch-surfing dope-smoking slacker. The
love here shines through, though, and the song shows Allen at her most playful.
Most of the record to this point is a delightful load of nasty, coated in
chocolate and sugar to make it go down easier. With her brother she takes the edge
off.
This
record may be a bit nasty, but that just makes it more delicious. It is also brimming
over with top-notch pop hooks and melodies. On my walk home today the sky was overcast,
but listening to “Alright, Still” I felt as bathed in sunshine as Katrina and
the Waves.
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