Released 14th October 2002, Rough Trade Records
Sometimes a band just comes along at the right time with something different; it’s hard to put your finger on it but when The Libertines arrived they were just that.
They had it all, verve, vigour and vitality, The Libertines’ debut album Up The Bracket is pure rock ‘n’ roll. It is set at a frantic and frenetic pace and at just over 35 minutes jags this way and that to leave your head spinning.
The influences of The Clash (Mick Jones produced the album) and other bands like The Jam are there for all to see in this punk-infused chaotic musical ensemble. Chaotic sums up this album and The Libertines to a tee (Pete Doherty’s post-Libertines lifestyle also comes under this description) but it is their attitude that carries them head and shoulders above their peers.
The songs are fresh and tell the story of street life and all the grim happenings that come with it. On first listen there doesn’t appear to be a stand out track or two as you are dragged along on the wave of euphoria that the album oozes.
However once you play it again and again their are several tracks which epitomise the spirit of the band, opener ‘Vertigo’ and ‘Death On The Stairs’ go at such a pace it is hard to catch a breath. ‘Boys In The Band’ is a tribute to the life of the groupie with lyrics like: “So tell me baby how does it feel/I know you like the roll of the limousine wheel,” and musically is rough and raw.
The title track is the band at their best with slurring vocals, jangling guitar riffs, thumping drum beats and all turned up to 11 on the amp. Ending on ‘I Get Along’ the album concludes on another classic piece of autobiographical Libertines lyricism: “Something ain't quite right/You got the devil on your side/standing to your right come on.” The disjointed guitars, a trademark of the album, push the track on at an electric pace and provide a great backdrop to the furious vocals of Carl Barat.
Perhaps the acoustic tracks don’t quite live up to or fit in with the rest of the album and should have been left for B-sides especially as the outstanding ‘What A Waster’ failed to make the final cut. The Libertines, though, are a band on the edge, playing with total commitment and unpredictability; they may not be perfect but that’s what makes them special.
Worth the hype? Sullied the legend since? Most influential band of the decade?
Posted In Classic Albums, Aug 28 2009.
Words - Richard