Ok, first things first: Mike Skinner came to play. 2002's Original Pirate Material was a call to arms and a truly fresh take on the UK urban scene. A bedroom effort that has since sold over a million copies and put the pressure on Skinner to make good on the street-poet schtick he was labelled with. Original Pirate Material (OPM) laced dicey beats with odes to drugs, pubs and Playstations while taking a shot at what was fast becoming a stagnating urban scene in the wake of Garage's initial blow-up (courtesy of one Craig David and a 2-step infused debut album).

So, having moved things forward as was the initial aim, 2004 finds Mike Skinner in an altogether different frame of mind. While still dealing with the night life, A Grand Don't Come For Free kicks off with a missing thousand quid, and goes on to tackle gambling addictions, infidelity and gut-wrenching heartache, something Skinner only brushed on OPM's sombre "Too Late".

And it's in the way he applies the same perspective to relationships that he gave to every day urban life that makes you realise it wasn't just a fluke. A Grand Don't Come For Free extends the scope of Skinner's observations, acknowledging that there is a good deal more to his day to day existence than pills and pints. Some may argue that his tone has been tamed somewhat in the wake of his success, however it must be said that the new album arrives as a companion to his previous work. It doesn't seek to replace it; it simply enriches the world occupied by Skinner and his friends, and gives everyone regardless of socio-economic status or nationality, something to relate to.

So street-poet schtick and saviour of the garage scene bollocks aside, what Mike Skinner has served up is a mature second album with a good deal more substance than his first. Ms. Dynamite and Dizzy Rascal can hang onto their Mercury Music Prizes, that'll do Mike just fine. He came to push things forward which he continues to do, and while a grand certainly doesn't come for free, when it's made to look this easy you have to wonder.