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The CD of the Week on “Out of the Box”
Sugar Rush.
To fully appreciate Lily Allen’s second album It’s Not Me It’s You, it helps to know what happened in England when her debut came out two and a half years ago. She became a household name through the British tabloid press which incessantly detailed her party girl exploits as her album became a smash hit. She was the first in what has become a long line of spunky, attitudinal brit chick singers extolling the virtues of bad behavior. Allen has learned much being in the spotlight and this new album is her first step toward becoming an artist as opposed to a pop star.
The opening song begins at dawn of an all night party as she ruminates on her hangover. What follows are songs about sex, drugs, consumerism, world peace and God all sung to bright, shiny synth-pop arrangements that disguise the dark commentary. Her lyrical zingers are as audacious as ever but there’s an underlying melancholy that dulls their edges. Producer Greg Kurstin of The Bird and the Bee provides a more consistent touch than the multiple producers of the debut album. Gone are the ska and hip hop influences replaced by eighties era euro-beats. Kurstin avoids the sameness of his own band’s arrangements by experimenting with county, eastern European and disco sampling.
In the world of Lilly Allen’s new album everyone is on drugs (“Everyone’s At It”), women are over the hill after a certain age (“22”), men are still the dumber sex (“Not Fair”) there’s solace in takeout food and watching TV (“Chinese”) and God’s favorite band is CCR (“Him.”) But if the album’s title doesn’t give it away the realization that it’s all a put on eventually sinks in and she really is commenting on everyone but herself.
Listen for songs from the album It’s Not Me, It’s You by Lily Allen all this week on Paul Shugrue’s new music show “Out of the Box” on Hampton Roads public radio 89.5 WHRV Mon. through Thurs. from 7 to 9 p.m., Sat. afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m. and on-demand at www.whrv.org/outofthebox.
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