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Everything Is Borrowed
by
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Everything Is Borrowed Image
Metascore
63

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 18 Ratings

  • Summary: Mike Skinner has said this fourth album would be his second-to-last album as The Streets.

Top Track

The Escapist
All these walls were never really there Nor the ceiling or the chair I'm eking weeks at peace on a beach I see the breezes weave the trees These... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 28
  3. Negative: 1 out of 28
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    His backing tracks incorporate more live instrumentation, adding some much-needed musical warmth to complement his lyrics' newfound depth.
  2. AllMusic
    80
    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.
  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    80
    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.
  4. Under The Radar
    60
    Sober living has brought back Skinner’s musical fire, and it has given him a new perspective that is sometimes fascinating but too often cliched. [Winter 2008]
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  5. Uncut
    60
    The devil is in the detail--and Skinner's devilish side is his most appealing.[Oct 2008, p.108]
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  6. Pitchfork
    48
    In the end, though, Everything Is Borrowed's musical high points aren't enough to save it from its lyric sheet, and that, going forward, constitutes a real problem for Skinner.
  7. Drowned In Sound
    30
    The result is like a musical cab ride from hell, a forty-minute endurance test of half-baked cockney cod-philosophy.

See all 28 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 1 out of 5
  1. LeahT.
    Oct 16, 2008
    9
    A Much better album than what some critics are saying...a few moments of sheer brilliance are here.
  2. ed
    Oct 8, 2008
    8
    With soaring positivity, subtle arrangements and Skinner's trademark simplistic honesty, this is marked improvement over THWTMAEL, but With soaring positivity, subtle arrangements and Skinner's trademark simplistic honesty, this is marked improvement over THWTMAEL, but falls short of his first two classics.… Expand
  4. oldhollywood
    Oct 16, 2008
    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 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
  5. Danm95VFF
    Apr 18, 2016
    6
    Mike Skinner took a very different approach to this particular Streets album than the three that came before it. He decided to eschewMike Skinner took a very different approach to this particular Streets album than the three that came before it. He decided to eschew references to modern life, drama and fame in favour of positivity, philosophy and religious references. It's quite an ambitious left turn considering the aggressive nature of albums like A Grand Don't Come for Free. Lyrically, it shows a very different side to Skinner, and musically it is considerably more atmospheric and mellow. However, his vocal delivery is very awkward for the most part, which isn't helped by the pairing of lines that not only don't rhyme, but lack rhythmic consistency, like the guy was just jotting down a brainstorm of random philosophical ideas and used them as final lyrics. It's an album likely to turn away quite a few of his early fans, but you can't knock the guy too much for doing what he wanted with his musical direction.… Expand
  6. RedP.
    Oct 8, 2008
    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 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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