A Grand Don't Come for Free

If The Streets’ debut record dared to add artistic heft to the disposable thrills of UK garage then this operatic follow-up takes that ambition to, well, dizzy new heights. But while <i>A Grand…</i>—which audaciously tells a single twist-laden story across 11 tracks—deserves praise for its conceptual verve, it also spotlights Skinner’s unerring ear for a subversive hit. “Fit But You Know It” brings skronky guitar and buckets of wit while “Dry Your Eyes” is a stately monument to modern male heartbreak.