Test Spin: Lily Allen

The title of English singer-songwriter Lily Allen’s new album, It’s Not Me, It’s You, is reminiscent of every track within it — brutally honest. Yes, the album is catchy. Yes, it’s artistically unique. But the honesty is what will hook any listener. Allen doesn’t hesitate to jump right into this forthrightness, crooning in the opening stanza of the opening track, “Everyone’s At It,” “I’m not trying to say that I’m smelling of roses / But when will we tire of putting shit up our noses?” Right away, the listener gets the feeling that Allen is not singing “Why can’t we all, all just be honest?” without doing exactly what she is preaching. This refreshing honesty is perhaps most evident in “Not Fair,” which features lyrics such as “I could say that I’ll always be here for you / But that would be a lie and quite a pointless thing to do…” Allen doesn’t waste time with love-filled, unrealistic lyrics that other artists can’t seem to stray from, but instead sings about things that are much more relatable to the average listener. Most importantly, she manages to do this in a way that does not come off pessimistic, just simply realistic. There’s also the track “Fuck You.” Need I say more? Sorry Americans — the British just tend to do things better.