Libertines

The mythology was starting to overshadow the music with tales of drug addiction, punch-ups, imprisonment and therapy all adding up to make The Libertines the most talked about band in Britain. Thank god then, that their second album, cleverly titled ‘The Libertines’ has been finished. Many thought it would never happen but Pete, Carl, John and Gary have managed to put their problems behind them long enough to create an album that is destined to be album of the year, if not the decade.

Produced, as with debut album ‘Up The Bracket’, by Clash legend Mick Jones and engineered by Bill Price (who worked on ‘London Calling’), ‘The Libertines’ is as ramshackle and effortless as you’d expect, spitting out killer tunes, insistent hooks and mouth-watering melodies at every turn.

The first single ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’ kicks off proceedings in classic Libertines style. A pacey dose of Albion spikiness that explicitly details the tempestuous relationship between Pete and Carl, it is three and a half minutes of pure gold. Second track ‘Last Post On The Bugle’ continues in a similar vein, all Strokesian guitar lines and thumping drums before the skiffle-driven ‘Don’t Be Shy’ and ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ complete the opening salvo in typically tumbling style.

The obligatory acoustic ballad is up next, but with true Libs dash ‘Music When The Lights Go Out’ descends into squalls of guitar halfway through before returning to gently strummed loveliness and the insightful lyric, “won’t you please forgive me”. Probably the standout track on the album, ‘Music When…’ will undoubtedly become a fan favourite once the boys get back on the road.

‘Narcissist’, a 60s flavoured belter that climaxes in a maelstrom of noise, and the Smiths-esque ‘The Ha Ha Wall’ meet us in the middle before the short but sweet racket of ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ blasts through with manic aggression. Whilst the title of ‘Arbeit…’ could be the name of a lost Franz Ferdinand track, ‘Campaign Of Hate’ actually sounds like the Franz boys. A new-wave masterpiece featuring that tried and tested Wire bassline it sounds like a ruck in a scrap yard.

The final five tracks offer some of the finest tunes The Libertines have ever recorded. The 60s harmony pop of ‘What Katie Did’ is pure shimmering joy that ends in a cascade of tinkling cymbals whilst ‘Tomblands’ is a crunchy glam stomper that bears more than a passing resemblance to ‘Ballroom Blitz’. Meanwhile, ‘The Saga’ is another clattering anthem filled with manic guitars and excitable yelping.

Album closers ‘Road To Ruin’ and ‘What Became Of The Likely Lads’ offer up a few more telling lyrics including the affectionate, “trust in me/take me by the hand” and the mournful, “what became of the likely lads/what became of the dreams we had”, bringing the album to a tender end.

‘The Libertines’ is a deeply personal record that, hopefully, will go some way to exorcise the demons that have haunted the band over the past year. Rammed full of instantly memorable tunes, it consolidates their position at the peak of British indie. Whilst pretenders to the crown like The Ordinary Boys and Razorlight have managed to produce some truly classy first records only The Libertines are capable of the sort of creativity on show here. With this album The Libs can now take their place alongside The Clash, The Who, The Jam, Oasis and The Kinks as part of the elite group of bands that can lay claim to the term ‘genius’. In short, ‘The Libertines’ is a terrifyingly good record.