1. LeahT.

   9

   A Much better album than what some critics are saying...a few moments of sheer brilliance are here.

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2. oldhollywood

   8

   Eminem and his white-trash rhymes gave the white rapper a bad name. One got the feeling that Dr. Dre was just patronizing the dude from Detroit with all those circus beats and kiddie videos. Fortunately, acts like the Beastie Boys, House of Pain, and Bubba Sparxxx have established a solid enough foundation for white MCs that no one dud can bring down the whole lot. The man of the moment is Mike Skinner, aka The Streets. Emerging from the UK's grimecore scene with Dizzee Rascal, The Streets broke out by documenting the formerly mundane elements of everyday life behind garage beats and the Rn'B prowess of hook-singer Leo the Lion. While The Streets' debut in 2002 was a hit, their albums have gotten better with every turn, including a concept album in 2004's A Grand Don't Come for Free and 2006's decadent The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living. Leo the Lion is no where to be found on Everything is Borrowed, as Skinner has assumed almost all of the responsibility for singing the hooks now. It's cool to hear Skinner's singing voice grow stronger from some pitchy moments on Grand to competent performances on new tracks like 'The Way of the Dodo'. But Skinner's bread and butter is his lyrics and there are some classic moments on Borrowed like 'Heaven for the Weather'. There's a lot more live instrumentation this time too, like some great reggae-tinged guitar on 'Never Give In'. Lily Allen shows up on the title track. 'The Sherry End' has a nice 70s retro feel like something from a lost episode of Charlie's Angels. Borrowed is The Streets' strongest production to date. A lot of reviews have cited the new album's introspective flavor. And while there are some sensitive songs like 'Strongest Person I Know', there are plenty of lyrical hints that The Streets haven't totally mellowed out.… Expand

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3. RedP.

   2

   What the hell, Pitchfork gave this 4.8 but Metacritic lists their rating as 6.4.... what gives? Anyway, this is some of the most blatantly sentimental and cliched music I've ever heard. Think Anthony Robbins set to music.… Expand

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