by bleating on about the perils of becoming famous (oh, the poor chap) but his innovative musical approach first realised on 2002 debut
Original Pirate Material
derailed too.
The good news is, with fourth album
Everything Is Borrowed
, the likeable geezer is back. There's even moves to push things forward on
The Way Of the Dodo
, with its single panicky house beat, instruments that creak rather than play, and his futuristic philosphising over the top.
Overall, Skinner comes across less annoying from a musical perspective and his geezer rap isn't as abrasive as in the recent past. He even tries singing on
The Sherry End
, which makes you wonder if he's been on the sherry. That song has hints of bass-driven modern soul, like Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, crossed with crazier jazz moments similar to Herbie Hancock's
Headhunters
madness in the early 70s, and outbursts of psychedelic rock.
And there's more touching and laid-back moments, like the catchy French-inspired sweetness of
On the Flip of a Coin
, and the Groovejet-chink of
Never Give In
shows Skinner has found out that sometimes minimal means more.
Those turned off by the last album should give the geezer another go.
Scott Kara
