Once upon a time (1998), in a country far, far away (England) there lived a malevolent, manipulative malefactor who used radio waves as a means of subjecting innocent bystanders to the torturous agony of death-by-nauseating-football-anthem. This heinous reprobate, who, along with his two rapscallion henchmen went by the name of 'Fat Les', continues to make fleeting quadrennial public appearances and has, thus far, gone unpunished for his crimes against music. Until now, that is. In a perverse twist of fate, the Vindaloo Villain's sins have been atoned for by none other than the fruit of his very loins, in one swift thirty-seven minute-long album. OK, OK, enough with the fairytale analogies. Twenty one year-old Lily Allen may not look like a bringer of musical salvation per se, but in the familial household at the very least, she's exactly that. Alright, Still, her debut album, is a swaggering, lilting and eclectic collection of songs that's bursting with charm, attitude and wit, and Allen's talent for a clever turn of urban-anecdotal phrase outdoes even that of her supposed male counterpart, Mike Skinner. Hit single and opener Smile is a sloping reggae/soul splash that slyly nods to Lauryn Hill's 'Doo Wop (That Thing)', Knock 'Em Out is a feisty Arctic Monkeys-meets-Ms. Dynamite thumper, and the calypso-tinged homage to her hometown, LDN, was an anthem made for sunny days. Lyrically, Allen lines up a volley of ex-boyfriends, granny muggers and would-be suitors and frivolously tears them to shreds, while the production savvy of the likes of Mark Ronson injects a dose of urban cool into proceedings. Reggae, ska and pop are undoubtedly the most heavily featured genres, but there's also cocktail party-chic (Everything's Just Wonderful), Madchester (Take What You Take) and kitsch 60s pop samples on offer (the wickedly funny Alfie).Her oft potty-mouthed diatribes may make her more Lily of the Alley than Lily of the Valley, but this surprisingly infectious collection is without doubt, one of the best debut albums of the year. And, thanks to Lily, they all lived happily ever after.
