With this long weekend being the unofficial beginning of summer, I can't think of a better soundtrack than the music of young UK indie sensation Lily Allen. Stereogum, Bows + Arrows, Strawberry Fire, Cable and Tweed, and the like have already caught on to her musical breeziness and I just want to reiterate how immediately pleasing her music is.[As an aside, check out the blog links for more Lily Allen-related links I was too lazy to link to.] I've read comparisons to the music of Nellie Mckay, M.I.A., and most of all The Streets and while those comparisons have crept on more than one occasion, they're also quite appropo. Lily has a lyrical brashness similar to Nellie Mckay that's somewhat unexpected given the summery dance-pop vibe. When Lily's music crosses over to her more calypso/ska/rap excursions, she does remind me of M.I.A., but moreso Mike Skinner of The Streets given her vocals' instrinic Britishness. Overall, the one thing that sets Lily apart is the pop quality of her songs, sounding so immediately catchy and performed with such casualness that seems like she isn't even trying.The Guardian profiles the the young Ms. Allen.
The Village Voice revels in Lily Allen's 'bliss-inducing' "LDN" while Toronto's own Eye Weekly, while liking Ms. Allen's music, dispels her internet hype as a mere blip in any real mainstream popularity.
Slam X Hype has an interview with Ms. Allen.
LISTEN: Lily Allen @ MySpace (recommendation: "Smile")
DOWNLOAD: Demos and her First Mixtape (courtesy of Slap You In Public via Cable And Tweed)
DOWNLOAD: Second Mixtape (link via Slam X Hype)
BUY: her debut release "Alright Still" is available for pre-order through Amazon.co.uk and will be released July 17, 2006
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