The Streets

The charming lad-boy naiveté of previous Streets' releases is gone, replaced by chemically-induced confessions. If nothing else, Easy Living is proof that rock star clichés apply to those on the cutting edge: boy finds acclaim and fame; boy discovers cocaine and groupies; boy becomes immersed in regret and morning-after headaches. Of course, frontman Skinner pulls it off with more panache than most, squeezing moments of tenderness ("All Goes Out the Window," "Never Went to Church") between the runny-nose confessionals ("Prangin' Out").

The real reason it's OK for Mike Skinner to rap about celebrity instead of blokedom is that his skills have leapt a quantum. His comic timing and mixture of slangs--not to mention his musical conception (chorus-sung choruses, a great way for a bloke to blow his recoupables)--are all so much more fully developed that he's actually made a record that's fun to play in the background. You'll sing along to the hooks, and every time you home in on a couple of lines they'll make you smile--except on the farewell to his dad, which you can bet cogitates harder than the one about international relations. (Grade - A)