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Skinner has consolidated everything he’s done before, chucked in where his head’s at now and come up with an album that, while lacking the visceral thrill of ‘Original Pirate Material’, is a minor masterpiece that will mean a lot to a more select bunch of people.
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His new record retains The Streets’ puckish charm while showing signs of maturity.
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Everything Is Borrowed is a neat about-face, a record that couldn't be more different from its predecessor. Sincere, considered, and poignant, Everything Is Borrowed finds Skinner remaining one of the foremost lyricists in pop music, and so much the better when the focus of his sharp writing is the struggle of weighty concepts instead of flimsy celebrity.
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Over inventive arrangements that feature more live instrumentation than on any other Streets album, Skinner gives maturity a fresh coat of meaning.
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Each listen reveals more light and shade, reaffirming Skinner's position as one of Britain's truly interesting stars.
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More than anything it's just a relief to see this rare talent back from the brink, still, as always, one step ahead of the game
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Where the last Streets record was mainly about coming up with new words to describe cocaine, the fourth is surprisingly expansive and often quite deep.
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On his fourth set, he addresses loftier themes--religion, mortality, ecology--without sounding dorky; it's like he's been woodshedding with Obama's speechwriting team.
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His backing tracks incorporate more live instrumentation, adding some much-needed musical warmth to complement his lyrics' newfound depth.
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Even though his heavy drug phase seems to be largely over, Borrowed is his "Sgt. Pepper"--not because he’s spelunking far-flung experimental trenches, but because he finally understands that life is larger than his ego (self-depreciating as it was).
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Alternative PressWhat matters is that Everything Is Borrowed is enough of a triumph that despite all evidence to the contrary, you'll be convinced the world is indeed a beautiful place. [Dec 2008, p.153]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 12 out of 18
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Mixed: 2 out of 18
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Negative: 4 out of 18
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Apr 18, 2016
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LeahT.Oct 16, 2008A Much better album than what some critics are saying...a few moments of sheer brilliance are here.
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oldhollywoodOct 16, 2008