Goodbye to The Streets with Computers and Blues

This is not an album review, but a farewell.

Specific musicians and music has mold my brain through the first 26 years of my life, but none more than Mike Skinner and The Streets.

It’s funny, considering how much music surrounds us in the US, that I would be most influenced by a British musician, MC, and poet.

I connected with his observations of life and the chaos and joys within it, but the biggest realization he gave me was the similarity of people around the world. It surprised me at how closely his commentary related to my friends and myself, how closely the perspectives coincided, as well as tastes in music.

Thousands of miles away, people are living the same lives you are. Whether it had to do with going out drinking with friends, the death of a loved one, or philosophies of life, Mike Skinner’s music made me feel this crazy connection with people everywhere.

Computers and Blues, the fifth album from The Streets, was released yesterday in the UK, February 7th. This will be the final album from The Streets. If you haven’t heard any of Skinner’s laptop-electronic beats and goofball-genius lyrics, you really should. Plus, he’s streaming you his final album for free on The Guardian.

If you don’t listen to all of Computers and Blues, at least give a little time to listen through “Outside Inside,” “Soldiers,” “ABC,” and “OMG.” All of you Facebookers will appreciate that last one.

Goodbye to The Streets.  To Mike Skinner: keep creating!

Now, sit back and enjoy Computers and Blues:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2011/feb/03/streets-computers-blues-album-stream

Music Video for “Going Through Hell”