My rating: 3 out of 5
The fourth album from the lads, and it’s a challenging one for me. I’ve followed the band for over 20 years now, but I highly doubt if that album were their debut, they would be where they are now.
While the first two albums were a rush of youthful energy with intellectual poetry, this album seems to mark a step into adulthood for the Libertines, after the phase of adolescence that the third album represented.
When the third album was announced, I was excited as eff. More than 10 years after the second album, nobody, including me, expected new music from the British rockers. And I don’t think anybody expected Pete Doherty to survive his drug addiction career, either. And yet, here we are with two new albums since “The Libertines”.
“Anthems for Doomed Youth”, the third album, was a catching-up with the first two albums, presenting the classic Libertines style in a modernly produced sound. My favorite song, “Heart of the Matter”, directly got to the heart of the matter and gave me the feeling I want to have when listening to The Libertines.
And that’s where I have my problems with the new album. I miss a song like that. Of course, almost every song is Libertine-ish and original in its way, but I don’t get overwhelmed by a song instantly. “Oh shit” is what comes closest to the Libertines feeling, but it’s only close.
The songs are well-arranged, with quotes from classical music, jazz, and blues. Thus, I would label them as “adult” music. It kind of feels like they took the fun out of the music. And when there’s fun, it feels like they’re trying very hard (“Be young”).
So picking a favorite from these 11 songs is hard, and despite “Oh shit” being good, I choose “Baron’s Claw”.
The Libertines — All quiet on the Eastern Esplanades was released April 5th, 2024.
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