Frenchy’s Fracas

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..)

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General Description
Artist/Band: The Streets
Album Title: A Grand Don’t Come For Free
Year: 2004

Just a nice and interesting discovery.
 
How I Got Into This Music
Well.. A coupla months ago I saw the video for “Dry Your Eyes“ and like a lot of people, I got hooked on the incredible mix of classic moody blues combined with English slang rap. But what really turned my head around was when I even heard the song on the radio over in Curacao during my vacation last August. After that I kept telling meself to have a listen, but of course, I got distracted by Life In General ;o)
Then the second single “Blinded By The Lights“ came out and I knew it was time to get serious with The Streets aka Mike Skinner.
“Mike Skinner is still a major and original UK talent and, two albums in, genre freaks still won’t be able to decide where to file him. Which can only be a good thing.“ - BBC Music

Tracks that got my attention:

It Was Supposed To Be So Easy
Life where everything can go wrong. Takes getting used to the vocals, but the beat is incredible!

Could Well Be In
Funny and intelligent lyrics, great song 

Blinded By The Lights 
Great skill in lyrics: a night out with the lads can be a bit eventful and now we can take a peek into what’s going on in their heads

Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way 
Chorus is haunting me brain for days!
   
Get Out Of My House 
UK Garage at its best! Bloody great insight into relationships

Dry Your Eyes 
Incredible song. I’m enjoying the image of people buying the album because they loved this single (I called it the RHCP effect)

Conclusion
What can I say? The album is a soundtrack to a small story about a small soul in a small world: urban mediocrity and how to live with it. Which wouldn’t be that impressive if it wasn’t for the great lyrics and sometimes incredible sound production. What I like about the album is the fact that it’s fresh, a word sodomised by record execs and underground wannebees, but in this case it’s justified. Mike Skinner’s made an album that takes different musical styles and genres and combines that with a great narrative that appeals to most people even if they don’t like UK Garage or Slang Rap. 

Rating:

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