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Lily Allen - 'The Fear'

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Fraser McAlpine | 10:17 UK time, Monday, 19 January 2009

Lily AllenTo say this single has been eagerly anticipated is a bit like saying Simon Cowell has got a few quid in the bank - I've been following the genesis of Album No.2 on the internet as it's been through its various title changes and various potential lead singles that the actual act of sitting down to listen to the official lead single actually made me slightly fearful. What if it didn't live up to expectations, eh? What then?

Thankfully, I'm impressed with this, by and large. It has two huge plus points to sell it: some excellent production which enhances but never threatens to overwhelm the vocals, and Lily's lovely, listless vocal performance, which pulls off the difficult trick of being affectedly aloof without actually making it sound like she isn't mentally present.

Seriously, try it for yourself, it's much harder than it looks. In fact, I'd go as far as to say the vocal on this song is better and stronger than anything on 'Alright Still'.

My only reservation is with the lyrics, which are a little more simplistic than I would've liked; it's pretty easy to guess how a couplet is going to end as soon as you've heard the first line. I realise that the lyrics are intended as a parody, but we saw enough examples of Lily's sharp mind and quick wit on her first album that some of the rhymes just seem a little bit lazy.

Although perhaps that's just my residual anger that she chose not to rhyme "ammunition"
with "paediatrician", it's more obvious in clever, subtle lines like "I'm not a saint, but I'm not a sinner / But everything's cool as long as I'm getting thinner". Some of the other lyrics on the song could've been sharper or more cutting.

However, that's a minor reservation that doesn't really stand in the way of the fun, and on the basis of this, album number two should be a treat.

Four starsDownload: Out now
CD Released: January 26th

(Steve Perkins)

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