July 18, 2008 16:36

The Streets complete fourth album

'Everything Is Borrowed' due to be released in autumn

Photo Gallery: The Streets

Mike Skinner has finished recording The Streets fourth album, 'Everything Is Borrowed'.

Two and half years after the release of his last album, 'The Hardest Way To Make A Living', the Brummie star today announced he had completed his new record on his MySpace blog.

An obviously excited/drunk Skinner wrote: "WWOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH. THE 2.5 YEAR MARATHON IS OVER!!! ALBUM 4 BABY! EVERYTHING IS BORROWED. REAL BIG UP IN THIS PIECE. AAAAIIIIII."

He had previously told NME.COM that the album would see him moving away from his standard lyrical subjects of drugs, girls and beer in order to tackle the more weighty issue of the environment and climate change. However, having decided that the new songs were "too preachy", he scrapped most and started again.

One that remains, entitled 'The Way of the Dodo', warns mankind against the dangers of the impending environmental apocalypse, with the lyrics proclaiming: “It’s not the earth that’s in trouble/It’s the people who live on it/It will be here long after we’ve all gone the way of the Dodo.” Other song titles include 'The Sherry End' and 'And On The Flip Of A Coin'.

Skinner also posted photographs of the prototype of a lighter-shaped USB dongle, stamped with The Streets logo, which he says are "packed with harsh me-based lyric dem".