Everything Is Borrowed

by

The Streets

Edit

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.