The Streets - ‘The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living’
General Description
Artist/Band: The Streets
Album Title: The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living
Year: 2006
Terrible Child..
How I Got Into This Music
Well, about a year and a half ago I discovered this band and I reviewed their previous album. So, now I thought I’d review this one..
Album credits at artistdirect.com
Tracks that got my attention:
Prangin Out
This guy Mike Skinner is a total master of the beats! It works good enough for me to tolerate most of his vocals. This track’s a perfect case in point..
The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living
Another typical track: on the one hand an annoying song and on the other a sometimes interesting song with great lyrics
Go into Morris stead as well as Saville row
I want a pin-stripe suit that no man owns
All Goes Out The Window
Great vocals, great lyrics!
You may be mugged if you trust too much
But it will more fuck you up
It will more fuck you up worrying about trust
Memento Mori
This is Mike Skinner’s charm:
Yes I am shallow and loving every wrong play
If love is blind then why do we all buy lingerie
When You Wasn’t Famous
Single release, not bad. Telling us all about the highs and lows of celebrity, I guess..
Never Went To Church
As a person that really likes people taking risks with musical traditions and evergreens I have to respect this track, but.. If you’re gonna use ‘Let It Be’ by the Beatles, please make a friggin’ effort!
Hotel Expressionism
Just love the beat and keyboards on this track!
Conclusion
Nah, the previous album was a nice surprise and with this one you kinda get used to the novelty. Although.. I keep discovering new stuff in the lyrics that are quite brilliant. This guy’s repenting a bit for his dramatic period of being a total lout by being a total lout about it and I kinda like that. Tracks like Two Nations and All Goes Out The Window are very well-written. The repenting stuff ends with the final track Fake Street Hats, giving us his version of what went down in Holland or Belgium last year at show he gave, where he really flipped his drugged-out lid. Everything about this guy’s a contradiction, he really is an interesting performer, this album’s just not as much as interesting sadly..
Rating: 
(still a very gutsy bastard..)
