The Streets ft. Pete Doherty - 'Prangin Out' (679) Released 25/09/06

In which two of the biggest bag-heads of contemporary guitar and pop join forces to narrate a tale about the darker, destructive side of drugs. A damn novel idea and far from eulogising the rock and roll lifestyle, Mike Skinner’s lyrics are direct, uncompromising and quite possibly the best he’s ever written (“With rational thought it would seem that I need to not be doing the stuff that makes death seem like an easier option”). All set to an abrasive tune it’s a heady brew that echoes the disorientating paranoia suffered by those paralysed by narcotics. Quite what Pete Doherty’s spoken word lines add to it, we’re not too sure. But if it just stops one kid from following the self-destructive ways of their idol, then that’s a good thing.