Beabadoobee feels like a lone and true successor of so many nineties mainstream britpop and shoegaze records, which don’t get enough carefree pop tributes, sung by Vanessa Carlton and this EP is a collaboration between Bea Beabadoobee and The 1975. Last Day On Earth is an uplifting, chilled out ode to burning down churches, stripping off your clothes and then getting ‘fucked up, alone’. Cologne sounds like Blur descending into a frazzle of feedback, like the breakdown in Radiohead’s Paranoid Android. Animal Noises calms things down a level, like a nostalgic Phoebe Bridgers swimming about under a sea of strings. He Gets Me So High starts off sugar sweet before developing an emo tinge courtesy of Matt Healy’s guest vocals. A great follow-up to their 2020 Fake It Flowers LP.
The Libertines self titled second album is 17 years old today. Back then, at the age of 21, I dreamed of being a music journalist but never made it happen. A friend did ask me to write a review for the Rock Against Racism fanzine, however, and here it is.
The story of The Libertines has always been a turbulent one. Debut single “What A Waster” was never going to get any radio play, for obvious reasons. Debut album Up The Bracket was littered with references to live in the rough and tumble of London’s East End whilst trying to keep some perspective and direction, with tales of the Albion and the Arcadian dream.
Rumours and gossip, much of the time planted by the band through colourful interviews, are distorted and discussed the world over by fans and critics alike. More recently there has been in-band fighting, theft, escalating drug addiction, rehab and a near-final total split.
And the tabloids and music press follow it avidly, talking it round and round until it seems to have little or no connection to the music itself – some wild saga or soap opera more interested in crack and cocaine, angry ex-girlfriends and court hearings than the songs. So this is where The Libertines steps in.
From the first tangle and jangle 20-second intro to “Can’t Stand Me Now” to the final slow down, stop and start drums of “What Became of The Likely Lads?” the album is through and through the product of the chaotic time between their debut and this, their second album, each track filled with references to, inspired by or tainted by past events and misgivings.
Most obviously, “Can’t Stand Me Now” is an ode to Pete ‘n’ Carl’s dented friendship, as both argue and bicker in trademark poetic fashion of heroin addiction and anger at being rejected from the band last summer, all over a classic, powerful tune. Perfect material for the album’s first single, and an ideal first chapter to the following album.
“Last Post On The Bugle” sees a would-be song of missed love turn into a sorrowful, downbeat tune backed by repetitive guitar riff. “Don’t Be Shy”, appearing somewhat out of place through its sheer initial exuberance, fits in perfectly with its message of live for the day, take what you have and, in the words of their first album, “Fuck ‘em”, complete with the highest vocal chorus since the Bee Gees.
“The Man Who Would Be King”, a soft then loud track, with fragile piano-backed verses leading toward a haunting, lulling chorus, the piano turning into a waltz during the outro. “Music When The Lights Go Out” comes in with a pattern of curving guitars, turning into a ballad to the loss of the first lust or love in a relationship.
“Narcissist”, the fiercest track on The Libertines, lively in the vein of “Don’t Be Shy”, sings to vanity and a longing to be part of the showbiz world of models and magazines. “The Ha Ha Wall” is The Libertines’ statement of intent around hypnotic circle guitars and adamant drums, to making success out of boredom and idleness. “Arbeit Macht Frei” is a punk blast in less than two minutes, beating guitars and a non-PC ode of ironic hypocrisy inside a history lesson.
“What Katie Did” is one of the best pop songs written by a rock ‘n’ roll band in the last ten years, with a pristine singalong chorus recently revealed to be written to a troubled ex-friend. “Tomblands” is a fast, dark sea shanty filled with talk of drug abuse and being on the run. “The Saga” a confessional track of denial, acceptance, then denial of a problem – which problem is left to the listener to conclude.
“Road To Ruin”, the song of the Albion’s ever-stormy voyage to Arcadia, always swayed off course by outside forces, yet always re-affirming the underlying beliefs: “Trust in me, take me by the hand, all that you need is right there in your hand, you don’t need money…” over the top of an organ backing.
Final track “What Became Of The Likely Lads” brings the album back round to a close. The sister track of “Can’t Stand Me Now”, directly questioning the partnership of Pete ‘n’ Carl and the standing of the band, whilst at the same time reinforcing the band’s Smiths-like fascination of the England of old through the blatant reference to the 60s comedy series.
At encapsulating the essence of The Libertines, their intentions, their habits, their obsessions, their influences and their constantly individual songwriting style, the album succeeds.
Where their debut focused on displaying life in London’s inner city underworld, The Libertines gives a portrait of life and the problems inside Britain’s most exciting current band, and pulls it off with the smattering of charm and melody you would expect them to deliver.
Death Of The High Street‘s new single Exit is the latest missive from Creation records’ reincarnation, It’s Creation Baby. Another punkish band choosing to lead with Mark E Smith spoken word but the chorus is melodic enough to lift them over and above the trend. The lyrics are a spit-flecked meditation on the scourges of modern life, a trudge through a personal hell, with the Exit being the fate that’ll meet us all. Worth having a listen to these.
The eardrum blisteringly heavy second single from Manchester new grunge types Supera Morzo is worth a listen. Hailing from some musical utopia between Nirvana and The Cribs, Roadkill is a bass lead concoction of screeching guitar and throat destroying anger. The lyrics are impossible to make out and the name doesn’t make sense yet but the song is pretty fucking great. Their last single, Scrubber, was about Boris Johnson and, with a title like this, it’s safe to presume they’re using the same subject matter here too.
This song is rude. And should be danced to on the dancefloor of an indie club, if indie clubs still exist. The debut single from Isle of Wight band, Wet Leg, deadpan spoken word double entendre asking someone to get naughty on a chaise longue over art rock guitars and a drum machine. More please.
To put it simply, The Cribs are brilliant, consistently so, and they’ve put out another brilliant single, a truly vital, energetic, poppy 3 minute something song to stand up there amongst all their other songs of the same description. Sorry, not amongst them, at the forefront. As joyful, loud and catchy as their material mostly is, The Cribs thankfully seem happy to keep smashing through their well-honed formula, and long may they continue to do so.
This blog isn’t brand new. I started it several years ago but very quickly ran out of steam. Lately, however, I’ve been enjoying a bunch of music and wishing again that I had somewhere I could show it off to the world. So I’m back!
I’m going to just post about any and all music I like, no specific theme, male and female fronted bands, probably guitar heavy stuff, singles, albums, gigs and whatever else inspires me to sit at my computer and write an article up to describe it.
Edge of Arcady 