Mike Skinner, the musical mastermind behind The Streets, once again melds hip-hop, dub, ska, UK garage beats, and his unique rhyme style to deliver a sound like nothing else. Instead of the snapshot imagery of the last album, "Original Pirate Material," "A Grand..." is one continuous narrative, following Skinner through a day of victories, defeats, and battles. "On the new album Skinner steps away from scene affiliations and into more exploratory spaces. The result actually comes off more genuinely hip-hop than his debut?A 'Grand' suggests that Skinner is less England's Eminem that its Beck, someone whose distinctive way with sound, song, and gesture is as much a part of his voice as his lyrics. A rap Ulysses." --SPIN