release date: Jul. 26, 2006
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: various
label: Regal / EMI - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Smile" (4 / 5) - 2. "Knock 'Em Out" - 3. "LDN" (4 / 5) - 4. "Everything's Just Wonderful" - 5. "Not Big" - 6. "Friday Night" - 8. "Littlest Things" - 11. "Alfie"
Studio album debut by Lily (Rose Beatrice) Allen is produced by a long list of various producers just as the songs on the album are credited a different group of people with Allen as central songwriter.
The album rocketed to number #2 on the albums chart list well promoted by the number #1 single hit "Smile", which came out a fourthnight earlier, and the second single "LDN" from Sep. made it to number #6 on the singles chart list - Allen had basically taken Britain by storm playing a simple retro-style of pop, which both paires artists like Amy Winehouse, The Streets, and Blur with a mix strongly influenced by ska, reggae, and grime, and Allen appears as the first UK artist to blend these styles in simple arrangements combined with humour-founded lyrics from a fictional character's everyday-life. A year later, Katy Perry and Kate Nash looked to Allen and both experienced solo success with music bonded to this very debut.
I recall being quite pleased by the first two singles from the album, and although, the album does contain other fine songs, it still comes out as a bit shallow, easily forgettable but yet perfectly refreshing.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Spin 4 / 5, Pitchfork 8,3 / 10, 🤯The Guardian 5 / 5, Rolling Stone, 👍NME 3,5 / 5, Q Magazine 3 / 5 stars ]
