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November 08, 2008,
"Just when I discover the meaning of life they change it," Mike Skinner raps with typically uneasy, endearing coordination on his fourth album's opening title track, but those aren't the gutter scribblings of the desperately hungover—they're a swelling carpe diem with a soaring hook (as soaring as you can get via Skinner's keyboard-in-the-bedroom-closet vibe, anyway). Skinner has spent the few albums since his grand debut "Original Pirate Material" getting progressively more thoughtful, melodic and predictable, and where "Everything Is Borrowed" might lack the hair-singeing novelty of his debut (or its story-time follow-up "A Grand Don't Come for Free"), there's still plenty to keep things interesting: "Heaven for the Weather" is positively jaunty, "I Love You More (Than You Like Me)" is rather sweet, and Skinner's dancing wordplay hits the beats on the gently meandering "On the Flip of a Coin" just right. —Jeff Vrabel


../../photos/covers/2008/street_the_everything_is_bo.gif../../photos/covers/2008/street_the_everything_is_bo.gif../../photos/covers/2008/street_the_everything_is_bo.gif nonenoneOct. 7THE STREETSEverything Is BorrowedHIP-HOPMike SkinnerVice29Features
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