The Streets - Everything Is Borrowed

The first time people heard The Streets' debut "Original Pirate Material", they couldn't figure out whether the artist was black or white, from London or the Midlands, deadly serious or a total joker. We now know who Mike Skinner is, so for him to have come up with a record that surprises and delights is an even more impressive achievement. "Everything Is Borrowed" finds Mike not only rediscovering his irrepressible buoyancy, but sailing away on that trademark stop-start lyrical flow to waters no one else has visited. Product Description

The Streets go timeless

In Mike Skinner, AKA the Streets,' online commentary about making this album he implies that he made a conscious decision to omit any lyrics on the album that reference modern life.

So anyone hoping for a follow-up to "Original Pirate Material" and its cinematic tales of contemporary squalor will be disappointed by this album by default.

But that doesn't mean that his experiment in wordplay, just like his interwoven stories on "A Grand Don't Come for Free," aren't a very worthwhile addition to this artist's music. Skinner is worth keeping tabs on.

Streets albums are fun because they are basically party records that can be interpreted on various levels. On one level there are the big sloppy choruses meant to be sung along by sloshed people and then there are the little verbal tangents (ballsy hip-hop inflected poetry) that Skinner constructs that can be both simple and profoundly deep.

Cut out references to modern life, as Skinner has done here, and the result is an oddly philosophical party record that is both enjoyable and inspiring.

I just wish those choruses were a bit less sloppy and the beats a bit bigger. November 26, 2008

Give it a few Spins....

Like with most Streets CDs, it takes me several listens to really catch on. I picked up on A Grand Don't Come for Free pretty easy and retroactively picked up Original Pirate Material. So I anxiously awaited the release of Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living. However, when I got it, it took a long while (a couple of months of forced listening) before I could say, yes, Mike has made a record of extreme quality.

Now, on to the record at hand. Everything is Borrowed was the same way for me. It was tough to digest at first. At this point, I can say that it is THE most played record on my ipod. There's just a great, warming feel to this disc and I can't get enough Skinner.

Highly recommend this disc... especially if you've heard and liked The Streets in the past. No real outstanding hits on this disc like there were on A Grand or Hardest Way. Still a high quality release. November 4, 2008

A Great Album, Despite What You May Have Heard

Right. So...Mike Skinner. A witty guy to be sure. But on this album he seems to be more focused on being meaningful than being clever. Whether this is an improvement on his previous work is really a matter of opinion.
There's more emotion on two or three of these tracks than what we're used to. "Everything is Borrowed" and "The Escapist" are truly evocative and beautiful songs that everyone should hear. I'd also recommend giving "On the Flip of a Coin" a listen.
The instrumentation used here is more complex than anything else Skinner's tried before, but the lyrics aren't as biting. Again, it's more about taste than about his effort...the songs remain catchy and well-written.
My biggest critique of the album would be that a few of the tracks seem a bit half-baked, especially alongside well-developed others. For example: "The Way of the Dodo" and "Never Give In" will probably never really grow on me.
Overall...perhaps it's not as good as his first two albums, but it's certainly better than his third and I feel that it will grow to be more loved over time.
I can't stop listening to "Everything is Borrowed," but mostly because I'm waiting for about five of the songs on the album that are brilliant. It's a good half-album, but it could have used more work.
Streets fans will love it still, I think. If they can come to terms with the idea that Mike skinner wants to mature a little and stop screwing around. He's just arguing with his own accent...that's his problem. It's hard to take him completely seriously, but I'm learning to. You should try it. October 16, 2008

A definite grower

I don't know what to say about this album. When I first purchased it, I gave it a listen and was confused by the musical direction - a lot more real instruments and less hip-hop/garage beats, almost orchestral beats. Which can be quite interesting. But not for Mike Skinner. His razor sharp wit is still there, but in limited strokes. I hated this album when I first bought it, but have come to enjoy it. Strongest cuts: "way of the dodo", "the sherry end", "the strongest person i know", and "i love you more (than you like me)" October 12, 2008

If you disliked everything after his first record, this won't change that for you

I think everyone more or less agrees that his first record is the best record The Streets is likely to produce. His follow-ups have been grievous missteps in style and lyrical challenge, and have mostly come off as exercises in how-far-can-I-push-this. This record does not break that streak. I like a challenge as much as the next music lover. I do not like feeling as if the artist cares less about their music than I do.

Mostly indifferent or downright quizzical production, not enough here to make a difference. October 10, 2008

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