The Streets – Computers and Blues

The Streets’ Mike Skinner has been on a downer ever since releasing Original Pirate Material in 2002, but then no-one bothered. His melancholic parables of estate life were coloured by gratuitous drink and chemical binges, which made his cautionary urban tales – picking fights with the telly repairman, 5AM break-ups, and perpetual spliff-rolling – oddly romantic, and perversely entertaining to hear.

While some of that emotional resonance is lacking on the radio-friendly numbers on Computers and Blues, this is a stronger release than one might imagine nearly a decade on from that debut. Skinner’s innate knack for crafting delectable pop tunes remains undiminished – we could pick at least five potentially charting singles here – while his street patois and strength of observation are sharp as ever. Whether tackling weed-induced agoraphobia on Outside Inside, or the perils of Facebook relationships on OMG, Skinner’s self-appointed role as working-class bard remains valid, making Computers and Blues as dignified a “last album” as could be. [Martin Skivington]