Lily Allen - Alright, Still

When people hear the name Lily Allen, many things spring to mind: 'chav', 'motormouth', and 'Mockney' to name a few. Others may slate her rise to fame, claiming she got it all off the back of her father, Keith Allen, who, by the way many people talk, might as well be an A-List actor as opposed to a bloke who has acted in a handful of B-movies and, in the words of Lily herself, 'sung on some shit football song', referring to England football favourite 'Vindaloo'. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Lily is no daddy's girl, she's not a stick-thin bimbo addicted to the spotlight - she's in it for the music. And, as this fantastic debut album proves, she's extremely talented at what she does. When I bought this album soon after its release in 2006, I was a total rock chick who listened to nothing but classic rock bands and nu-metal groups. I got it off the strength of the two lead singles, 'Smile' and 'LDN', and honestly wasn't expecting much from it. However, one listen in and I knew I'd invested in a pop masterpiece. Every single track is extremely well written and penned by Lily herself. Frigid ex-boyfriends, friends on drugs, a couch-potato brother, and the image-obsessed modern world are just a few of the topics dealt with through killer sarcasm, clever rhymes and catchy ska beats. One thing's for sure about Miss Allen - she don't hold back! Can't rate this album highly enough - the only thing holding it back is the exclusion of fan favourite 'Nan, You're A Window Shopper'. Best track: Everything's Just Wonderful Worst track: Littlest Things But that's just my opinion! :)