Lily Allen

On It's Not Me, It's You, English pop-tart Lily Allen trades in naïve sass for cynical wit, an exchange that works best when discussing the pitfalls of fame, a topic usually reserved for starlets with nothing left to say. But Allen takes the perspective of an outsider looking in. By casting herself as a woman of the people, she's able to deliver sarcastic quips like, "I want lots of clothes and fuck-loads of diamonds/I hear people die while they are trying to find them" on lead single "The Fear" without pandering to her audience or hanging herself in the process. Elsewhere, Allen offers up Alright, Still-style takes on sexual politics, though this time out she's criticizing the opposite sex's inability to bring her to orgasm rather than their pick-up routines. This new record lacks the carefree bounce that typified much of Allen's debut but continues to deliver her unique views through a more mature lens.