Lily Allen

Gritty street scenes filtered through a cheeky sense of humor, British irony, and lots of milky tea make up Lily Allen's bird's-eye view of London. Allen's songs are set to an array of carefree, swinging sounds that incorporate elements of ska, pop and hip-hop, which help to offset weighty topics such as crack whores ("LDN"), breakups ("The Littlest Things") and revenge fantasies on unfaithful partners ("Smile"). More melodic and airy than the Streets, Allen is a sharp urban storyteller with an ear for a hook.

"When you first left me, I was wanting more/But you were fucking that girl next door." With
these gentle words, Lily Allen entered the breakup-song hall of fame, singing "Smile" to her
ex with a breezy sha-la-la lilt that just made the song seem even nastier. The girl's got a
mouth on her. She blew up in the U.K. last year and already has a sizable cult here, so the
U.S. release of her debut album, Alright, Still, is belated yet welcome. In the trad... More >