Rappers come in all shapes and sizes. There's Lil' Kim, Fat Joe and, of course, the stereotype-buster Eminem.
Then there's Mike Skinner --also known as The Streets -- a 39-year-old British performer known for his infectious rhymes backed with garage-tinged beats. Skinner defies easy categorization: part Beastie Boys, part Lily Allen, part Run DMC.
Likewise, Skinner's fifth album "Everything is Borrowed," released on Oct. 7. eludes convention.
Some of Skinner's insights reek so badly of middle-school philosophy that they prove distracting. His argument against environmental activism, for example, has roughly as much substance as an elementary-school science-fair project.
"It's not Earth that's in trouble, it's the people who live on it. Earth will be here longer after we've all gone the way of the dodo," he proclaims on "The Way of the Dodo," a minimalist track of light synths and staccato chords bolstered by forceful snare and bass. Skinner's cliched reference to the ill-fated bird is surely among the most cringe-worthy aspects of the song, but his logic is even worse.
A fatalistic attitude leads Skinner to dismiss any responsibility for environmental issues. "It's not that I don't care, just that I'm way too caught up with breathing air to grieve for the trees and air or how breathable air is" he declares, before offhandedly dismissing global warming as one of many "conspiracy theories (we all see these)."
Likewise, his treatment of religion comes across as pompous and self-important.
On "Alleged Legends" Skinner rhymes "When you're bad you'll feel sad. That's the religion I'll live by," before going on to rail against the Bible. In an attempt to balance out his riffs on morality, Skinner challenges the very concept of good will, asking, "should we really need to assist [God] at all?"
All the same, it's possible to make too much of Skinner's philosophy when the overall effect of "Alleged Legends" is positive.
Musically, the track is among the strongest on the album. Skinner overlays a minor-key guitar loop with subtle beats and synths, making the track sonically lush and controlled.
Fortunately, not all the album's tracks deal with such heavy subject matter as the first few songs. Skinner leaves behind his theological wheezing on, "Everything is Borrowed" and focuses instead on more personal revelations.
The most inspiring and ethereal track on the album is "The Escapist," which describes an epic 770-mile trek from Dover to a French beach. Skinner relates the wisdom he gained on this journey in an effectively sincere manner. "I see the eternal setting sea," he speaks, "I blink my eyes. This is reminding me life lies in the blink of an eye."
A mixture of brass and string lends an orchestral sound that dominates the song and provides just enough rhythm to hold the track together. "The Escapist" is an unequivocally beautiful song. This is Skinner at his best -- unpretentious and painfully in search of meaning.
After "The Escapist," the title track is the album's greatest achievement. "The sky is still black but begs to be red, I just put my book down, but it begs to be read," he puns.
The symphonic quality of the song, with heavy strings and female backup vocals, creates a triumphant sound. Skinner poetically recapitulates the philosophy he put forth on the first track, redeeming himself from the pretension of "The Way of the Dodo" and "Alleged Legends."
Although the tracks' inconsistency threatens to undermine the album's overall merit, the fact that we see Skinner struggling to convey his message brings us closer to his desired effect.
We come to sympathize with Skinner, whose best efforts to navigate toward truth are riddled with cliche and paradox. While the lyrics sound somewhat hackneyed at times, Skinner's words resound when he croons: "I came to this world with nothing. I left with nothing but love. Everything else is borrowed."
In the end, the singer succeeds in documenting his process of discovery, replete with contradictions and pop philosophy but relatable for its inadequacies.
