gullbuy music review

Lily Allen

title

Alright, Still

label

EMI

format
CD

Lily Allen CD coverLily Allen is the daughter of UK actor Keith Allen. That and a nice myspace page have immediately escalated her name into the consciousness of many music fans.

Alright, Still is her debut record, following the Smile single. It is a really good record. The song Smile is really good too.

The basic sound is like Saint Etienne on their Good Humor record, with a touch of (Australian artist) Sia, in a slightly ska setting.

The songs are very catchy and the samples she uses are good. I initially thought this record would be a house record or some type of post-electroclash thing. The cover art reminded me of Ellen Allien mixed with Roisin Murphy.

I have come to really enjoy several of the songs on the disc. Everything's Just Wonderful is a fantastic track, as is Littlest Things and Friend Of Mine.

Smile is a great track too, but the F word 25 seconds into it prevents it from being played on the radio. I haven't heard the single, but it MUST have a clean version of Smile on it.

Lily sings about common things: boys, going to clubs, her kid brother Alfie, getting loans from the bank. Like al the best pop artists, she finds a special way of looking at the ordinary and has managed to record it onto catchy songs.

Alright, Still is a record I will tell friends about, and will be listening to myself. If you like well produced pop with female vocals, you should really give this disc a listen.

---Carl, August 12, 2006