Album: Original Pirate Material
Artist: The Streets
Mike Skinner - Instruments, Main Vocals
Kelvin - Vocals
Released: 2002 (Atlantic)
Favourite Songs:
Turn The Page
It's Too Late
The Irony Of It All
Stay Positive
50 Cent and Nelly should take a look at the UK. The UK is miles ahead when it comes to good hip-hop to the states. The Streets has gotten critical acclaim all the over the world and it's not hard to see why. None of the girls, guns and pimping bull that rules mainstream American hip-hop just true honest lyrics. Mike Skinners english accent and delevery makes this record stand out so much from any other.
'Turn The Page' could be called your typical hip-hop this is me and i'm here to stay song. It opens with a beat then the strings kick in. It has a pretty epic feel to the song. Mikes lyrics are great. He doesn't need to swear and his UK diallect makes his music very different. The song is a full out verse. No chorus or anything in this crack just a straight rap (Like Rabbit Run by Eminem). Kicks off the album well and gives you a good idea of what the album will sound like.
'Has It Come To This' was the first single from the album. It's really laid back and the lyrics are written really well. Mike doesn't refer to himself as a gangster or pimp simply a 'geezer'. Lyrics like this make the album great. This song is a bit weaker compared to the rest of the album it's just a bit too repititive in the background music.
The next song opens with horns and keyboards. 'Let's Push Things Forward' is the 2nd single from the album. The lyrics yet again are done well and the chorus is works well with Kelvin and Mike alternating in vocals. The laidback feel continues from the previous song and Mike is still writing good lyrics.
'Sharp Darts' is a quick 1 and a half minute rap. It demonstrates Mikes musicianship. The song might be quick but Mikes english accent and his lyrics work really well with the song. The chorus is well done aswell.
The strings, drums and bass line all work really well on 'Same Old Thing'. The chorus is the strongest point of the album. It feautures Kelvin and Mike alternating. The verses sound really well and it really demonstrates your life of a typical UK white male well. It's a song about life and the lyrics are very well done.
"Geezers need excitement, if their lives don't provide them they stay inside violence. Common sense, simple common sense" is the lyrics to this songs chorus. Very well written lyrics. Mike really makes you feel you're in the song. 'Geezers Need Excitement' is a standout track about violence and the lyrics are what make it stand out.
'It's Too Late' is a love song. The strings work very effictively in making this a good song. Mike's lyrics are great and the chorus stands out. Standout lyric 'We first met through a shared view, she loved me and I did too'. It's a tragic love story but a pretty one.
I guess you could call this a 'hard' rap song. The song opens with a piano then the bass line opens and Mike starts his rapping. 'Too Much Brandy' is very much a drinking song. Portrays getting drunk pretty well. The mandolin chorus line and Kelvins vocals sound great to.
'Don't Mug Yourself' is one of the albums best songs. It's set after a date the next morning sitting in a cafe Mike talking to his mate. The fast pace of this song is cool and the lyrics are really well done. The whole way it changes viewpoints between Mike and Kelvin is really clever. Standout lyric "Why should she be the one who decides wether it's off or on or off or off or on?". A slightly sexist song but great none the less.
'Who Got The Funk' is 1:50 long and the albums low point. There's no direction in the song and it's really just random music repeating a view random lyrics from the album. Worth skipping this song.
If your a hater of hip-hop and you like to say it's all crap well then you need to take a listen to this song. 'The Irony Of It All' It will change your viewpoint. The song is so bloody well written. It goes from the viewpoint of the drunk who's a hoon yet he is doing everything legally and to the calm laid back weed smoker. This is one of the smartest songs i've ever heard and Mike does a really good vocal preformance. He goes from drunken lout to innocent student just like that.
Soaring strings open 'Weak Become Heroes' and Mike comes in soon after. The lyrics are really well written. You can feel yourself walking down a London street in the begining and Mike's delevery just puts you in the story of a typical male. Good song.
'Who Dares Wins' is 35 seconds long and a bit like Sharp Darts. It's not long but Mike still raps furiously. The thing that makes this a weak song is simply how short it is.
The album ends with probably it's best song. 'Stay Positive'. When your down this is a great song to listen to. Mike keeps it open and honest here. I can't put all the lyrics of this song into the review but this is a song worth going to a lyrics review site just to see the lyrics. The chorus keeps the message simple 'Just trying to stay positive' Kelvin sings. Great way to end the album.
This album is something everyone that hates hip-hop should take a listen to. Mike keeps it real, he isn't a superstar and he knows he isn't a pimp. There's none of the girls, guns and gangs crap in this album. "Around here we call them birds not bi
tches" is a line from one of the albums songs. The strongest part of this album is undeniably the lyrics. Mike puts together his delivery very well and his english accent makes the album sound really unique. All the musicianship on the album is great. It's very well produced and the instruments are well aranged. The album is really 11 full tracks plus the three small tracks. All of the songs are very strong except for a few which are only good. The second album of The Streets will be out next month and it should be one to pick up.
Rating: 4.75/5 :thumb:
(Congrats self on being the only Mxer to review two hip-hop CD's)
