Music Review: Lily Allen - No Shame

One of the brightest, most refreshingly original female singers to emerge from the UK in the last dozen years, Allen suffered several personal and professional setbacks, including her split from the father of her two daughters, a battle with substance abuse and the lukewarm response to her last album, 2014’s Sheezus. Allen has also been given a rough ride by the British tabloid press. But her’s fourth album is a triumphant comeback in which the 33-year-old “Smile” singer has taken control of her story with starkly honest confessional songs. On “Apples,” she sings quietly over a simple keyboard riff about how her breakup with her husband mirrors her parents’ divorce. And she tackles her bad press head on in “Come On Then” and her previous reckless ways on “Everything to Feel Something.” Musically, the album is a welcome return to the buoyant reggae sounds of her Alright, Still debut. Allen’s turned a corner and it’s thrilling to hear.