The Streets
Original Pirate Material (Locked On/679)
Callum Moloney of Big Special told us about his love for a Streets gem.
Callum Moloney: This is always my answer when asked this question. It’s a midlands, era-defining classic, and for me, the earliest music I remember discovering from outside of my dad’s record collection. I was probably about 12 or 13 when I first listened to it and I was immediately hooked. It opened up a whole new world of garage, synths and sampled beats which informed my taste for the decades to come, and to a larger degree how ID want to make music. It’s also the first time hearing someone perform in a midlands accent which I found incredible. I thought “woah… people from round here sounding like I do can fly the flag with pride? Ain't we all meant to be ashamed of ourselves for being from this part of the country?”
Pride is something thats in short supply in Brum, so it stuck with me. Even Ozzy didn’t really sound like a brummy on the sabbath records… Not as potently as this anyway. Probably all those years living in LA…
Maybe I’m biased or drunk on nostalgia, but to me it’s a none skip album. Even the deeper cuts hold so much weight balanced in the context of themselves.
Lyrically and sonically It perfectly sums up my coming of age teen era.
It’s broad, honest, relatable, tongue in cheek and brutal all at the same time. Top class album by a top class artist.
Big Special's National Average album and “DRAGGED UP A HILL (and thrown down the other side)” single is out now.
Photo Credit: Isaac Watson
