Has it come to this? Mike Skinner (aka The Streets) returns with another tale of street "beer lairyness" with this little tune that bounces along like Blur doing the theme to Sesame Street (good in theory, lame in reality). Chugging along on a basic uninspired indie guitar hook, this is a tune going nowhere like bad beer boy poetry, and poor self-parody.
When debut album Original Pirate Material crept up on us a few years back it did so in a sea of mediocre garage and lame Brithop with a breath of fresh air, drunk humour and brutal honesty. All the work of the unknown Skinner, it fused garage, two-step beats with dramatic strings, and a large dose of emotional hooliganism. This latest offering rehashes a tale of junk food romance and reeks of a tired and limited imagination.
It's a weak intro to the forthcoming second album A Grand Don't Come For Free, and suggests that Skinner hasn't got the stamina to "keep it real" - or even vaguely inspired - now the cash has started rolling in. I hope to be proved wrong but if this is as good as it gets... Original Pirate Material? Chuck away your aerial.
more