First Impressions: Pipettes v Allen

I wrote this on Tuesday, but computer problems have delayed it and somewhat defeated the 'first impressions' point. Oh well, maybe next time.

A feature (well, if there turn out to ever be any more, you know what it's like) in which I offer my opinion on new/leaked albums that I've only listened to a few times. Sure to be ripe for ridiculing when I totally change my mind a few months down the line.

This week sees the release of two of the albums of the summer of a genre which can loosely and not entirely seriously be defined as pop for people who don't actually like pop. Lets start off with the fact that The Pipettes just about beat Lily Allen on having the less awful cover art. When it comes to the actual music, We Are The Pipettes is quite the glittery burst of fun too - having somehow avoided "Pull Shapes" thusfar it's great to find out that yes, it really is that special, but many other moments are instantly loveable too ("he don't know about X T C!", the statement of intent opener, the new piano on "Dirty Mind", lovely "A Winter's Sky"). Better still, fears about it being too samey seem very ill-founded and every song is the perfect length which is always helpful. A couple of songs don't work yet ("Sex" and "Judy", which is apparently the next single) but the whole thing goes by in such a blur that it doesn't matter too much for now.

Alright, Still... on the other hand doesn't seem likely to do such a great job living up to the hype. Musically it's immaculately put together, with some great samples and a breezy ease which suits Lily's vocals well. "Alfie", "Littlest Things" and of course "LDN" are all fantastic songs as a result. Not many other songs are memorable though and Lily's much-vaunted wit really isn't up to much. There are quite a few embarassingly poor moments lyrically whether being funny or not, indeed.
The night-out subject matter, clunky earnestness in portraying 'real life' and borrowed reggae/dub trappings add up to somehow leave the album reminding me most so far of Hard-Fi's Stars Of CCTV. That wouldn't be a bad thing (at least to me) if it had the tunes to match, but I don't think it does.