Uhhhm, let's try that again.

  If you haven't heard them already, you really must check out the two
  previous Streets albums, ORIGINAL PIRATE MATERIAL and A GRAND DON'T
  COME FOR FREE.  Suffice to say, this album is jostling with
  Calexico's GARDEN RUIN for the less than coveted top slot on my
  "biggest disappointments" list: musically, it's fine, but lyrically,
  it's not a patch on the earlier albums.  Skinner's original persona
  was obviously a contrust, but that persona was definitely a lot more
  interesting than his lyrics here, which are nothing more than yet
  another iteration of "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!  Being rich and famous
  and successful is SOOOOOOOOOOO stressful and annoying!"  Did the
  world really need grime's answer to RUNNING ON EMPTY?

This CD is my first encounter with The Streets, but you aren't the first
to tell me that earlier stuff was better. I guess I need to lay my hands
on the last one, which a friend says is his best.

--

_______________________

Sam Smith

[TABLE NOT SHOWN]