Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

Last year, a Guardian columnist turned a claim by Lily Allen's PR Company - that she was the 'Wordsworth of the MySpace generation' - into ebullient comedy fare. To her credit, Allen was an active participant in the ensuing discussion, and whether or not she deserves such lofty comparison (probably not) it did prove she's not one to duck the issues. And so it goes on this album. Two years in the media spotlight since her enthusiastic debut, Lily has both new issues and a more mature perspective to draw upon, but thankfully forfeits none of the satirical cynicism in dealing with drugs (Everyone's At It), God (Him), politics (Fuck You), celebrity culture (The Fear) and of course, sex and relationships (Not Fair and Who'd Have Known).

Each track is a vignette detailing Allen's own personal interpretation of the subject at hand. Of course, this could be dismissed as pure egocentrism, but Allen's sultry yet laid-back and cheeky vocal delivery suggest she isn't simply a didact. The pervasive Mark Ronson was responsible for the sunny reggae-pop of her debut album Alright, Still. This time round Greg Curstin (of The Bird and The Bees) offers a panoramic musical vision - from synth-driven electro pop to country - which is experimental yet firmly commercial, meaning it's pretty impossible to peg her to a genre of anything other than one - Lily Allen. Clever trick that! [Paul Mitchell]