Original Pirate Material
label: vice | warner

producers: mike skinner
year of release: 2002
website: the-streets.co.uk
 
House music started in Chicago, Techno in Detroit, but what about Garage? Somehow the names New York and the Netherlands pop up in the part of the brain that's reserved for music history. What however is clear, that what's called Garage now, is different to what was put out there as Garage back in the late eighties. That however is also a true statement for House and Techno.
With this record here changing the face of Garage. As well as showing what Garage can be. And it is hopefully preventing Garage from being anything less from now on. What however is a wish that will soon be disappointed, because not everyone is The Streets.
And not even The Streets is always up to par with what they are able to do. Hence the highlights of "Turn The Page" and "It's Too Late" are only two tracks among fourteen that also feature a disappointing and simply too Garage "Has It Come To This?" which is only saved by the piano, or "Let's Push Things Forward" which isn't saved by anything.

tracklisting
1. Turn The Page
2. Has It Come To This?
3. Let's Push Things Forward
4. Sharp Darts
5. Same Old Thing
6. Geezers Need Excitement
7. It's Too Late

8. Too Much Brandy
9. Don't Mug Yourself
10. Who Got The Funk?
11. The Irony Of It All
12. Weak Become Heroes
13. Who Dares Wins
14. Stay Positive
But maybe we should describe this to the unknowing more generally: you need to image quicker beats, that feature a hopping kind of drum, with lyrics that speak of personal perceptions, without getting diary mushy. What makes braggadocios verses be mostly absent from this record, while the words clinch to the beats in an offbeat and spoken flow. With the whole having the potential to get the people to dance, what however is not always this music's intention.
Because at times The Streets have something to say, like on "Geezers Need Excitement", where hooligan life is discussed, what is again picked up on "The Irony Of It All", which is a multi part song. This is told in the same effortless style as is the simple tale of "Too Much Brandy". At the same time the sounds are also changed to a "Sharp Darts" where the beat is as much slowed down as the lyrics are sped up. In contrast, "Don't Mug Yourself" is hectic and again we listen to a tale, while "Who Got The Funk?" features exactly those elements, with a guitar being in the back, and some shouts in the front. "Weak Become Heroes" features poetic and as always relevant words, while the background reminds us of the good old Hip House days.
The album then ends as it started: on a good note. "Stay Positive" is demanded, and we can't do anything but that. At least when it comes to critique this album. Obviously not everyone's cream of the crop, but in style something new and very well executed. Despite the commercial security that was in this courageous next step. However, there's a lot of good music, and a lot of good lyrics on here, and as that is what's most important, the political, genre, market, elitist and what not discussions can be ignored. Because this here is excellent.
review: tadah
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