Having disowned that "identity crisis", her fourth record is a radical overhaul that gives her signature dancehall-flavoured pop a lighter, fresher, more streamlined sheen, Allen’s voice feather-light.
It’s a wise move for songs well suited to an era of heavy, tell-all memoir.
The hardest hit is Everything to Feel Something, self-loathing sublimated into a sweetly ethereal numbness.
There are nagging hooks, yet a relentless inward focus gets exhausting over 14 tracks.
Though No Shame ultimately feels more like a transition than a reinvention, it’s good to see Allen coming back for seconds.
• Lily Allen: No Shame. Regal/Parlophone.
• ★★★
— Emily Mackay/Guardian News and Media
