Diving Into The Streets' Upcoming Album - 'Long Story Longer'

Diving Into The Streets' Upcoming Album - 'Long Story Longer'

The Streets were without a doubt a UK music icon throughout the 2000s, with what still stands, in my opinion, as an almost-untouchable five album run. Unfortunately, despite ending on a really high note in 2011, Mike Skinner’s post-reunion Streets catalogue (along with related side projects) has produced mixed results. Nothing out and out bad per se, but across the reams of stand alone singles, EPs, a duets mixtape and a 2022 album under the Darker The Shadow The Brighter The Light alias, the quality has ranged from “overall quite decent” to “perplexingly cobbled together.” Some absolute bangers could be found therein, don’t get me wrong, but overall it was dishearteningly inconsistent. That is of course, until 2023. While Mike had been creating music under the aforementioned TDTSTBTL alias since 2017, we were told, even way back then, that it was also the name of a film Mike was working on, along with its accompanying soundtrack.  That would be the “true” Streets comeback album, eventually released on October 13th, 2023. While the film was, at best, ironically enjoyable and slightly confusing, the album was absolutely stellar. The classic combination of Mike’s offbeat rhymes, acerbic wit, and UK dance-rap hodge-podge beats were back on full display. It was so much better than I thought it ever would be, easily being at least twice as good as even the best reunion material. I ranked it in the top 10 of albums for that year, and honestly it’s only grown on me since.

 So, of course I was happy to relisten to that album ad nauseum, which I still do, but after a victory as emphatic as that, you can’t blame me for wondering what he might do next. While there were a few pretty cool new Streets tracks on Mike’s ‘fabric’ DJ mix CD (the Joy Anonymous remix ‘Cannot Be A Lie’ being my favourite) the first sign of “proper” new Streets music came in late 2024, with the first of five, it turned out, non-album singles. It’s a shame really, because given their quality, under the assumption they supported a new album, I was excited. They maybe weren’t quite as “explosive” in quality as the 2023 LP, but they gave the more casual demeanour of previous reunion material a panache and slickness of production and performance that was a crucial missing ingredient. Call it operating at a 7.5 to the soundtrack album’s 9 or 10. 4 of the singles did also come with behind the scenes videos that were very intriguing and entertaining, but it turns out after the release of ‘Utopia’ last September, that that was all for that particular run. That said, Mike was keen to let people know, or at least hint, that there was a lot more around the corner. 

 In late October 2025, on his Instagram, Mike shared a video of him working on a new track. Amid an unrelated conversation, there were sounds of boom-bap drums paired with a bit of jazzy piano. Truthfully, there wasn’t a lot to go at, and I even totally missed it when it initially got posted. We’d get a much more fully formed preview of this new track about a month later though, and it was called ‘Sugar Cube.’ Sat in his closet, MPC in lap, Mike served up a few live verses atop a fully built beat and it was sounding great. Some awesome piano chops, a super sick groove, and some top quality lyrics to match. It was old-new-school in full effect and I was loving it. The further clips he shared in following weeks were still sounding ace as well (including what sounded like a cool dub-style intro or chorus). So imagine my surprise when weeks, months pass, and… nothing? All that hype just for it to fizzle out into nothing? But it sounded brilliant, so what’s the deal? I came to the conclusion that, given it must mean the single series was over, he must be saving it for something else. The question was: what WAS “something else?”

 The answer would come on April 23rd of this year, when I stumbled across a newly posted video. The thumbnail image of Mike staring at an upturned car suspended from the ceiling was intriguing enough, but the title drew me in even more: ‘long story longer.’ It became clear instantly that this was something… much bigger. For starters, the visuals looked super cool. In between images of group rehearsals in neon lit rooms, we got cinematic shots of Mike on a warm evening voyage in a boat, alongside gritty, dark lit cityscapes, renaissance galleries, churches, DJ booths, trippy looking art installations and… a plate of sugar cubes… hmmm... Super artsy for sure, but not in a wanky, beret wearing, art school sense, more a  ground built indie movie way. What were even more exciting though, were the words from Mike on top of said visuals, set to romantic electric piano chords, and dramatic swells of strings and guitar:

 “Long story longer. Like when someone's telling you something, and you know it's going to take a while.” It was a lyric on my last album, but I took it off when I realized it would be an amazing title for my next album. I've been experiencing a lot of weird coincidences lately. The biggest of which was after I'd learned the words for this tour, I returned to the film we started shooting last year. I realized it would need an album. And then I remembered the title that I promised myself all those years ago. Because the film is about UFOs. Long story longer.

There we have our answer. So it seems like, at least in terms of approach, we were getting ‘Darker The Shadow… 2’, that being an independently made film along with an accompanying album. Not only that, but it’s about aliens! Sweet! It should be said, for as much as I may not have liked the first film, the cinematography often was pretty impressive, so it was nice to see it on display again. Not to mention, given the subtle clues, if ‘Sugar Cube’ was anything to go by, the soundtrack was gonna be pretty bloody banging too. Now, although there haven't been any more official announcements regarding ‘Long Story Longer’ since the trailer, Mike and the gang rightly focusing on the ‘Grand Don’t Come For Free’ 20th anniversary tour, he has been dropping a fair few snippets of so-called “alien music”, more than likely previews of the film soundtrack. So, what I thought I would do, is go through all of the snippets currently available, to try and get a feel for how things are shaping up. Hopefully the film will be great of course, but given the strength of the last soundtrack, they’ve got a hell of a lot to live up to. Note: this will be updated to include future snippets.

Alien intro

While there isn’t a great deal to talk about here, if it is eventually seen to fulfil its supposed purpose, it should do a damn good job. As Mike says in the video, “when I’m writing [...] my alien music, this is gonna be kind of an intro, I don’t think I can make it a whole song.” While I’m not normally a fan of interludes of any kind for various reasons, with the album also acting as a film soundtrack, this would be a pretty great overture. While the acoustic guitar progression is only heard briefly, it has a likeable, wistful, sentimental quality which works very nicely. Most audibly though, the morphing and swelling synth layers that run throughout much of the video sound suitably otherworldly, eventually building alongside the guitar to a cinematic, industrial peak. Again, it may only be a brief little jam in context, but as far as an intro’s job of building emotion and tension, Mike absolutely has it down. Then again, “maybe I will make it a whole song” he ponders at the end, so who knows?

Sugar Cube

Obviously, I talked a lot in the intro to this article about how much this track excited me when I heard the snippet of it, so I won’t repeat myself too much, but it really is cool. The beat is a perfect 90s boom-bap throwback, with some brilliant jazzy piano chops, laid atop a super punchy beat with a groovy shaker adding some percussive texture. It might be basic, sure, but there’s often beauty in simplicity. Further snippets also hinted at a reverb soaked, dub reggae style intro that has a super cool mood all of its own. Moving to the lyrics, writing a song about an image as mundane and frankly English as this is such a quintessential Streets move, and thankfully, he delivers in style. Not only is the imagery a brilliantly conflicted mix of the bland and poetic, the use of natural imagery being a particularly clever bit of writing, but Mike’s rhyme schemes and the way he uses language is still very much intact. While there are run on or oddly phrased similes, he carries them off with an effortlessness that is genuinely infectious. After all, what other rapper do you know that could write the line “When summer’s through sunning ceases” and yet somehow make it work. Granted, his delivery does have the more subdued tone characteristic of the lesser comeback songs, but I’m willing to put that down to the fact he’s sat in a closet and hoping he can liven things up a bit on the recording. That said, his flow is still as smooth as ever, despite his often idiosyncratic approach. Combine that with everything else, and there’s the makings of an unlikely banger on our hands, given the generally downtrodden tone.

Who is Who in the Zoo

The first showcase we got of this track was actually in a video around the new (apparently very naff) ‘Disclosure Day’ film. Even in its beta stage, the beat was sounding pretty awesome. Gnarly, dark and heavy synth bass giving way to a slick beat with Mike’s favourite “white noise cymbals”, occasionally interjected with booming and cinematic orchestral and brass sections, in amongst the extra terrestrial keyboards. Given the subject matter and medium, it seems natural that the aforementioned collision of cinematic and sci-fi textures will be a recurring theme, and all evidence suggests he’s getting it right so far. The track seems just as blockbuster ready as it is stank-face ready. As for the lyrics, while Mike’s barrage of “-oo” rhymes might go a bit too far into “orange doorhinge storage” territory for some people, I think the way he’s able to keep that scheme going while still managing to pepper in some pretty wicked imagery and wordplay is impressive regardless. All while, mind you, tying that into a song seemingly about the pitfalls of internet tribalism and infighting, a very hard topic to not make super cringe. As a cherry on the cake, Mike’s right hand melody man Kevin Mark Trail, as well as new recruit Roo Savill, both bring a fantastic, slightly melodramatic chorus to proceedings that I’m sure with a bit of beefing up will be a serious earworm. This was really the first music snippet where the “alien” influence felt more palatable, and safe to say, it’s a sound they really seem to have settled into well.

They Know Things That We Don’t Know Now

This is easily the briefest of all the “main song” snippets that have been put out so far, and while that may play a role, it does still feel a bit difficult to make heads or tails of. Melodically it’s actually very pretty, with stately sounding church organs playing off layers of warm strings and twinkly synthesizers. It sounds definitely like a “falling action” type moment, say for instance, Mike sitting and quietly ruminating on his intergalactic travels, but that absolutely works in its favour. Only thing is, I’m not sure the super chunky 80s synthwave drums really fit too well. It feels like it would fit more of a woozy trap style perhaps more than something out of the Depeche Mode playbook, but that’s just me. Mike’s vocal delivery also has its high points. While it is on the surface, more deadpan, which I’ve previously criticized, I actually feel like his more stoic, yet wistful demeanour has worked well on his more emotive tracks like ‘Good Old Daze’ for instance. Could he punch it up or bring it forward a little bit more? Absolutely, but the general outline is still sound. Let’s just hope he doesn’t sing whatever the chorus is, if the start is any indication. As for the lyrics, they do seem to take a more emotive, yet pessimistic tone, with allusions to tales passed down through generations being a cool concept. Again though, because it’s so brief, only getting 4 lines really, it’s hard to have any strong opinion on them right now. It could be damn good in context, but aside from generally cool, melodramatic vibes, there’s scarcely enough here to be able to tell.

What The Hell is Happening?

You hear this? This is what we in the business call “the good stuff.” All the songs so far have sounded strong, but this takes things to a whole other level. The beat for one is deceptively simple. A very subtle, lovely organ line is re-enforced by some brilliant chopped synths carrying a really cool, forlorn chord progression that builds well over the course of the snippet to a euphoric yet chilled peak. That contrast of moods between the epic and at least what sounds like the tragic is an awesome juxtaposition that the instrumental nails. Add to that a super funky bassline, and yet more chunky type drums that, unlike the last snippet, work really great in context, especially with the extra percussion. Mike’s delivery seems back on form too, with that laidback confidence on full display, while still packing enough punch to bring the cleverness of the lyrics to your attention. All this, mind you, with an introspective edge still intact. As for the lyrics, it does the job of taking typical Streets subject matter, and, such is the assignment, giving it an intergalactic twist, comparing a stoned out drug high and the confusion of a dramatic space mission, with some slick rhyme schemes to boot. Finally, while Kevin Mark Trail’s chorus isn’t too lyrically built out, just being a repetition of the presumed title, his delivery is still as dramatic and emotive as ever, very quickly becoming an earworm. I don’t know about you, but this has all the makings of a first single to me.

Never Tell a Soul

The Streets I don’t think have ever been known as a “dark” band, but when they very occasionally go in darker, moodier territory, like with maybe ‘Bright Sunny Day’ from TDTSTBTL, they tend to nail it. This is no different. The foundation is yet another banging, boom-bap style beat, adorned with those swaggerful white noise cymbals that add a hell of a sense of groove. Not to mention the industrial snares help to drive home that punch. Melodically, the sole star is the guitar. The eerie synth build ups that bookend the main snippet are fairly cool, don’t get me wrong, but damn, that riff! A little more distortion and it could be a full on heavy metal breakdown. It’s probably the closest they’ve come to rap-rock in a while, and maybe… their heaviest track ever? I’m not complaining. Mike really brings it too. There’s a punchiness combined with an almost sinister, villainous quality in his delivery that is perfect for this track. Plus, the almost nihilistic tone is something very different but that works very well. With imagery of dying flowers, heaven and hell, and general decay and death, it may be the edgiest track I can remember Mike penning, but the bitter, pessimistic, tough knuckle vibes come across more in a graphic, awesome, almost horror movie kind of way rather than “whinging edgelord”, which is very difficult to do. Even Mike’s hook sounds pretty decent here. He’s never been a fantastic singer, but when he finds a decent pocket it can go over nicely, which this does. Simple. Catchy. Effective. Bang. Not only does this album have hypothetical single power, but what I’m guessing might end up as deep cuts are sounding pretty gnarly as well. Exhibit A.

While the next three snippets are only just beats, they have been at least hinted in some capacity to both be on ‘Long Story Longer’, so I think it makes sense to discuss them here.

Ghostly beats

Truthfully, there isn’t a great deal to get at here, but nonetheless there’s some cool stuff about it. Most obviously cool are the melodies. From the opening synth line acting as a genuinely eerie motif, at the same time it has a likeable alluring, otherworldly quality as well. Add to that soon after a set of dark, domineering brass and string layers, not only does the vibe transform into something yet more cinematic, but also taking it from the “other world” to the criminal underworld. For a film and soundtrack whose calling cards have repeatedly shown to be “dramatic scale meets woozy psychedelics”, it obviously slots in well. The drums underneath may be less convincing. It is a super basic 808 trap beat with bogstandard bass hits, agreed. There’s not a lot that particularly screams Mike Skinner about it. BUT, as he demonstrated on TDTSTBTL, even under slightly more bogstandard rap style production like on ‘Money Isn’t Everything’ or ‘Someone Else’s Tune’, he can still deliver the goods in effortless fashion. It may not be a total show stopper, but with a killer set of lyrics and a decent mix, this could end up a diamond in the rough.

Acid cinema groove

Who loves acid bass? This guy! And damn is this a treat because of it. Not only from a music nerd side is it nice to see the Roland Aria TB-3 getting some shine gearwise, but the sounds it’s producing are great. Of course, you don’t need much to make a 303 bass sound great. The melody is an almost instant earworm, and the subtle modulations throughout the progression, from classic warbles and wobbles to brighter pangs and squawks, are almost everything you could want from a 303 line in my view. While it would obviously sound great on top of a thumping four on the floor beat, the subtle rimshot beat Mike chooses in its place works well to let the bass be the star, while still utilising its own slow burning momentum. Plus, the decision to have essentially a bed of enveloped white noise as percussion is kind of genius. Then there’s the string melodies. Oh my word, the strings. These things are angelic. You might think they’d sound out of place on a beat like this. Instead, they glide atop it with effortless grace, yet again ticking the cinematic requirement. Not only are the solo strings in the intro absolutely beyond gorgeous, but when some fuller synth brass textures, up until then subtly bubbling underneath, come to the forefront in the break, it is utterly transcendent. There’s no other word for it. It might not be as sentimental-sounding as ‘Lock The Locks’ or ‘Good Old Daze', but I still think, with the right words, it would make a brilliant closer.

Guitar noodle

I know I’ve said it a few times now, but there really isn’t a lot to say here. All we really have is Mike playing quite a nice, quaint guitar progression with lyrics over the top. The progression itself is actually reasonably more upbeat than most Streets songs probably call for, which is nice. Add to that the fact that beats with the guitar as the centrepiece (which I imagine this will be?) are few and far between, and it leads me to believe this could be pretty cool. The lyrics are typical Skinner fare, seemingly detailing an afternoon of domestic bliss sat with his dog. That said, the lyric about relationships is pretty clever. The whole thing in combination has quite an, again, quaint, almost hippy-dippy vibe reminiscent of the fourth album ‘Everything is Borrowed, which in my book is a positive. It’ll certainly interesting to see what this becomes, if anything.

So, there we have it. Every bit of music, at least that I could track down, teased from ‘Long Story Longer’ so far. There were definitely some ideas I liked more than others, but I think it’s a seriously encouraging sign that out of the 8 or 9 presented, I didn’t actively dislike one. After several slightly disappointing reunion releases, having TDTSTBTL be as triumphant a return to form as it was after so long, is a success story not often seen in the music world. I couldn’t be happier to hear that ‘Long Story Longer’ is maintaining that same top quality level. I also wouldn’t be surprised if some more official news around the album came very soon. With a brand new 4-minute teaser film giving another peak at pretty much EVERY TRACK DISCUSSED HERE (with a great new verse for ‘...In the Zoo’), things seem to be hotting up. Hell, we might even get a single or two before the end of the year. Whatever the case. It’s great to see that even after 25 years, Mike’s still managing to push things forward. Hopefully the film lives up to the hype this time too.

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