British pop chanteuse Lily Allen won over listeners and critics with a mix of sweet and sassiness on her 2006 debut, Alright, Still. Ever wonder what it would be like if Natasha Bedingfield wrote Alanis Morissette-sardonic lyrics? Well, wonder no more.
Lily Allen is probably the closest thing to that unholy union the world will ever see, and It's Not Me, It's You amps up the ex-boyfriend hating Allen first explored on her debut.
The title's inversion of the world's most clichéd breakup line makes it clear to the listener what the theme is here. This is practically a pop music concept album, because every track is essentially a kiss-off of some sort. It's also disconcerting to hear these vitriolic lyrics sung by the sugary-voiced songbird.
The album's strongest point is how effortlessly Allen nails the art of the pop song. The melodies are hooky and beautiful and are uniformly catchy, even independently of the lyrics.
"Not Fair" sounds like a country shuffle filtered through Britpop, with a Johnny Cash bassline played by a synthesizer and almost-indiscernible banjo supporting Allen's bittersweet lament about an inadequate lover.
"F*** You" opens with a piano figure that evokes Foreigner's "Cold As Ice," and it might as well be a response to that classic rock staple. If the Foreigner song is a jilted man's appeal to his former love, "F*** You" acts as the woman's cheeky reasoning for her frosty demeanor. It doubles as a political jab; the "You want to be like your father/It's approval you're after" line hints at who Allen's attacking. And, of course, there's expletive-laden chorus. Allen might as well be throwing the TV and beer can collection out the third-story apartment window.
Allen's constantly bratty lyrics can get annoying over the course of an entire 42-minute record. Her constant man-berating only comes across as empowering part of the time. The rest just seems unfair. It's not fun to be on the receiving end of a "Never Gonna Happen," though the song itself is devilishly infectious.
In the end, the musical strength of It's Not Me, It's You means Allen's cattiness has yet to wear out its welcome. Breaking up never sounded so good.
Download: "Back to the Start," "Never Gonna Happen," "Not Fair"
Grade: B+
