The Streets frontman Mike Skinner shares the surprise release of his album, The Streets, which follows on from the (now-ill-fated) post-lockdown celebratory track "Who Got The Bag". On this new drop, the British icon pulls together a selection of glitchy beats spanning across five tracks, providing a reflection of the tumultuous times we find ourselves in.

In an interview with the BBC last year, Skinner explained that the new album had at one time been conceived as part of a musical drama, although it remains unclear if the drama will ever be released or if The Streets will play a part in it.

"The album is like two years old now," he explained. "I spent a few months with a script editor which was great and then at the end of the year I decided to kind of do it myself really, and we've since got different funding through the music industry, rather than the film industry.

"The film has definitely got things in common with Quadrophenia.Also, in a weird way, kind of Tommy [the same band's rock opera] as well, because in my film it's a musical but the songs are the voiceover."

Skinner's vulnerable lyrics and delicate vocals sound close to The Streets' Original Pirate Material album, with the familiar British intonation that we all know and love. After exploring everything from bassline stompers and soulful garage to ghostly rap and uplifting street folk, perhaps The Streets album represents a new chapter in the world of Mike Skinner.

Tune into the project below.