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The Streets Everything Is Borrowed
Review date: 18.09.2008
Our rating:
Everything Is Borrowed faces the epic task of making up for its predecessor, The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living, and hopefully returning Mike Skinner to the heights he atttained on his first two albums. Sadly, however, he falls short.
Musically, Everything is Borrowed is a solid album with plenty of the surprisingly simple hooks that have always caught the attention on Skinner's better albums. Sadly, however, the lyrics don't match up to the music. For someone with a reputation built on a clear delivery of faux naif street poetry, weak lyrics are a major let down.
The weakness is easy to understand. Skinner's early material about being skint and unsuccessful would now ring hollow, while more recent efforts concerning success and wealth tend to alienate listeners. Nevertheless, the decision to opt for cod-philosphising as an alternative is one that's just as sure to disappoint.