with a clever use of words, which the
listener can identify with, and a wide variety of backing
music to match the scenario the way film soundtracks are
chosen to fit the scene.
"It Was Supposed to Be So Easy" starts
the ball rolling, opening with a fanfare as though at the
start of the Olympics opening ceremony, with Mike telling
a story of losing a grand, and the cash machine denying his
requests for money, to top it all off, he doesn't manage
to get a DVD back on time, costing him more, the listener
can identify with these experiences, and The Streets manage
to make it interesting.
The Streets mix in hints of British Dance,
Hip Hop, Garage and even a taste of old style punk for good
measure, in "Fit But You Know It" which tells the
tale of meeting a girl on a night out, scoring her out of
ten, and being knocked back, Mike integrates humour into
the situation by being more bothered about losing his place
in the queue at the burger bar.
There are no epic tunes, in fact the entire
album is 11 tracks long and only makes an hour in total,
but the album tells it like it is, with clever use of words,
rhyme, and familiarity of modern life. What the listener
may see as every day mundane activity, The Streets manage
to turn into clever ideas, using ironic wit, rhyme and personal
experience to do so, the album gives a feel of being down
the pub with your mates, or listening to lyrical entertainment
at a comedy night, rather than listening to a CD at home.
Where rappers tend to brag about
their wall to wall stacks of money, their new Versace tie,
or their millions of women queuing up to dance with them,
Mike Skinner keeps to reality, addressing the issues of
a British suburban existence, from sitting on the sofa
watching Eastenders, to losing the girl you love, everything
is hit by the sharp wit of The Streets. "Dry Your
Eyes" is probably the most emotional; taking the form
of a hip hop ballad, where Mike loses the one thing he
loved. It's not all woeful though, as closer "Empty
Cans" tells a story of friendship problems, and broken
televisions from the point of view of Mike and his mate
Scott, where Mike winds up finding his lost grand. From
those who have experienced having to stand in a certain
spot to gain a signal on your mobile, to those experiencing
deeper problems, this long awaited CD has something to
offer, to gain the full story, give this latest offering
a whirl.
Katherine Tomlinson
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