The Streets released their new EP, ‘None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Life Alive‘, on the 10th of July. They restarted releasing music in 2017, but this is their first extended play since 2011.
The 12 track mix tape ranges in genre and tone. The track ‘I Wish You Loved You As Much As You Love Him‘ brims with sun-filled funk, whilst Skinner raps over a stripped-back drum n’ bass beat on ‘Take Me As I Am‘. This is in comparison to the snarling rock music which accompanies the EP’s title track, ‘None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Life Alive‘, or the moody Hip Hop of ‘Same Direction‘. The mix tape boasts an array of features as Mike Skinner looks to keep his sound relevant and fresh. Ms Banks stars on the grimy ‘You Can’t Afford Me’, and Tame Impala wrote the hook for the project’s highly publicised headline single, ‘Call My Phone Thinking I’m Doing Nothing Better. The EP is subsequently diverse, with each track offering an alternative to the last.
Reviews for ‘None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Alive‘ have been mixed. The Guardian reflected that the project is ‘the sound of an artist working out where he fits in an altered musical landscape’, following Skinner’s lengthy hiatus. The Evening Standard was more sceptical, claiming that the project lacked ‘sharpness’. However, the review conceded, that ‘if you liked him then, at least a few songs will appeal here too’.
Mike Skinner took the music industry by storm in the early 2000s. His relatable lyrics and distinctive Birmingham accent provided garage fans an exciting alternative. The scene has changed irrevocably since his last album, ‘Computers and Blues’, in 2011. ‘None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Life Alive’ was, therefore, always going to be a mixed bag as the artist familiarises himself with modern trends.
Skinner’s personal identity has always been imprinted in his music. It is one of his most endearing, enduring, qualities. It is a feature of his writing that has seen him go four-times platinum, through a discography concerned with ecstasy-fuelled nightclubs, full-English breakfasts and bad romances. It is this level of self-reflection which epitomises the personal magnitude of None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Life Alive, for Skinner. ‘Falling down is an accident, staying down is a choice‘ he muses, on the nostalgic track ‘Falling Down‘. The line serves as a reminder that, despite not every track being a masterpiece, it has been a long nine year journey without The Streets. It is good to have Mike Skinner back.
