It's Not Me, It's You

iTunes Review

Lily Allen may not be the most sophisticated (or timely) social commentator — "F**K You" is her dispatch on George W. Bush — but this 20-something British singer-songwriter often hits the heart of the matter with a pointed jab that can make a person blush. "Everyone's At It" begins with "So your daughter's depressed/Well, get her straight on the Prozac/But little do you know/She already takes crack." "Not Fair," with a near ska beat, offers a frank discussion of sexual inability, and "Him" ponders how many drugs God may have taken. Once the shock value wears off, Allen's second album still offers plenty of attractive, ambitious grooves that skewer from electro-pop to Eurodisco through ambient waves of static keyboard washes and funky mechanical basslines. Allen turns down the shockwaves for the more reflective tunes. "Who'd Have Known" and "Chinese" could be the centerpieces of a more conventional singer-songwriter's album. However, it's Allen's cheek that attracts the most attention and she obviously relishes knowing her little devil is in her details.