Released: 15/09/08

Everything Is Borrowed is the fourth album served up from everyone’s favourite Mockney, Mike Skinner aka The Streets. It is certainly is a much more mature offering than his previous albums, with subject matter including Heaven and Hell, mankind, the earth and seeing the beauty in life when at your lowest ebb; pretty deep compared to what we’re used to hearing from The Streets. There seems to have been a very deliberate move away from lyrics reminiscent of lad’s holidays in Magaluf and kebabs after a Friday night on the town.

The title track is a stand out, which is a reflective take on existence. With lines like; “Just when I discover the meaning of life – they change it.” You can clearly see the progression in Mike’s lyrics.

The Streets haven’t completely abandoned the contemporary themes that most listeners would be familiar with though. The Sherry End is about creating slang with your friends and Never Give In is a description of persistently chasing a potential partner until you succeed.

The social commentary bares a lot of similarities to works from Roots Manuva; however, the style is of course, very different, as is the delivery of the lyrics. That comparison drawn, there is nothing ground breaking or exceptional about the album musically. What really makes Everything Is Borrowed a good album, are the lyrics spun around heavy subjects, all complimented with Mike’s sincere optimism.

Even for listeners not accustomed to The Streets, it’s hard not to warm to Mike Skinner’s characteristic spoken-word style throughout the eleven tracks that make up the record. The last track is entitled The Escapist, rather aptly as Mr. Skinner has departed from this usual themes but it leads on nicely to the fifth album (which work has already begun on!) which, Mike Skinner has assured, will be as different again. The Streets truly are pushing things forward.

www.the-streets.co.uk

Fay Harley