Review: The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living

This month saw the release of Mike Skinner’s third album, The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living, still under the moniker The Streets. Instead of talking about life as a working class Briton, on the new album Mike raps about fame and the pressures of starting his own label. As with his second release, A Grand Don’t Come for Free, The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living is also a concept album, with nearly all of the songs chronicling his rise to stardom. On the first single, ‘When You Wasn’t Famous’, Mike tells us what it’s like to pull a pop-star, as opposed to a fan, and how he is still shocked to see that like everyone else, famous people have vices too -“my whole life I’d never thought I’d see a pop star smoke crack.” The song ‘Hotel Expressionism’ details the art of wrecking a hotel room and in ‘Two Nations’ Mike reveals what it’s like to tour America, “I keep having to say that I’m only joking in New York when I have to buy fags on the road.”

I received this new cd in the mail last week and since then, I cannot stop listening to it. Every time I flip on the ipod, or pop on cd in the car, it is The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living. Skinner’s insistent beats coupled with his mockney cockney begs listen after listen, if not to just figure out what he is saying. By far the stand out track is the first single, ’When you wasn’t famous.’ The song’s backing beat makes it a worthy dance track and lyrically it gives his audience a great look at the surprising by products of fame. I have found myself on more than one occasion playing this song over again and dancing along. Additionally, I really enjoy ‘Never went to church’ in which Mike talks about losing his father and the effect this had on him mentally. It is a good juxtaposition against his other frivolously themed tracks about doing prang (mixture of crack and coke), and conning barmen; ‘Never went to church’ comes off as honest and poignant. A third album pick would have to be ‘Prangin out.’ It is the perfect opening track; it sets the tone for what you know will be a drug filled and frank discussion about a boy’s rise to fame.

I cannot gush about every track though. I find ‘Can’t con an honest john’ monotonous and ‘Memento mori’ skippable as I am barely able to tolerate the strange way Skinner says “mori”. On a whole though, I think this album is a brilliant follow-up to Skinner’s past two successes. I have heard mumblings about it being over-produced but I disagree. Skinner produced the album himself and its polished completeness is a sign that Skinner is becoming a more deft producer, able to bring his message across clearer with stronger songs. It's f*cking book.

Check out 'Never went to church' here (thanks to Stereogum)
and
'When you wasn't famous' here (thanks to Who Needs Radio)