Babyshambles – Shotters Nation
I am going to try and avoid discussion of the Pete Doherty Tabloid Roadshow here, because surely even his most besotted fans must find that tedious, intrusive and more than a little off-putting. Between the media gargoyle and the deranged acolytes proclaiming his worshipful status as the Most Beloved Prophet of the Terminally Misunderstood People’s Republic of Punkistan I really find myself not wanting to write about this record at all. I want to hear it, but not to write about it. Here, however, goes.
This is actually a pretty good album. It is not the second coming, nor even a Blistering Return to Form. It’s just a decent record with some scruffy stuff on that doesn’t work so well, and some really rather good songs.
Looking back at the Libs and their sound and taking into account the subsequent output of Dirty Pretty Things and Babyshambles I am starting to think I see some patterns, although I could easily be wrong. It seems to me a little bit like Barat brought a more polished pop sensibility to Doherty’s ragged poetic ambitions, and in return, Doherty brought a welcome edge to Barat’s punk pop.
Waterloo to Anywhere was a terrific album, every song had an infectious hook, but it didn’t push any boundaries and it was certainly less ramshackle than any of the Libs’ output, whereas Babyshambles have been just that – a shambles. Not crap, just deliberately unpolished, scruffy and anarchic. Together they blended brilliantly, in a musical sense. Apart I would suggest that both lack a little of what the other brought to the table. Carl Barat could do with scuffing his polish, and Doherty could occasionally do with someone to bring more pop structure to his clattering.
Applying that to this album, there are plenty of nice hooks and excellent little bits and pieces here and there but not all of them equate to a whole song. It starts with its most populist feet forwards, I suppose sensibly enough, and both Carry On Up the Morning and Delivery are excellent songs. Like much of the album they veer between The Jam, The Who and The Kinks with punchy guitars and a little bit of vocal harmony and organ to hold it all together. So far so really rather good. Crumb Begging and You Talk don’t really press my buttons at all I’m afraid. They sound more like demos that should have been axed long before release, but the two Un_Titled ones are terrific. Bilo brings in some shoegazey jangle guitar and Stookie, while still quite shoegazey, uses more of a thrum, breaking into more of a Doherty growl as it builds towards the end.
This kind of inconsistency bedevils Shotters Nation, but there are enough really good moments to make me glad it has arrived. Lyrically it is very strong: occasionally self-indulgent and annoying, but generally on the button, sharp and combative. I’ll let you get into that side of it for yourselves though, as I’ve gone on quite long enough. The idea of someone who promised as much as Doherty being dragged down by self-fulfilling mythology created in part by the gleefully circling parasitic media vultures, and also by his own self-destructive tendencies, would be a real tragedy. After taking a sound beating, the music in his life appears to be making a comeback. An occasionally tentative one perhaps, but a comeback nonetheless, and it really gives the impression that it might just be able to save him. Assuming, of course, that he really wants to be saved, or would even consider it salvation at all.
Babyshambles – UnStookie Titled
Babyshambles – Baddie’s Boogie
I completely agree with your “pattern” theory, I think that’s why I tend to like babyshambles stuff over dirty pretty things – I always preferred the more scruffier libertines songs that were stronger in lyrics rather than polished melodies. but of course, the two together made the perfect songwriting combination.
I am relieved I managed not to offend you with this review actually Hannah, as I thought it might be a possibility.
I think I am the other way around. I still prefer the hooks, although there is definitely a bit of substance lacking in the DPT album. It’s not bad though, this. I was afraid I wouldn’t like it but by and large I do.
It’s a shame anyway that the “Dirty Pretty Things”
stole their name from one of the best bands in rock history: The Pretty Things.
These old men are still much better than imitative kids like the Babyshambles.
In the sense that everything is derivative or in the sense that there are a lot more innovative bands out there at the moment?
This is one of the better reviews on shotters nation that i have seen. While clearly this is a step in the right direction for doherty, it certainly isn’t, like you say, a blistering return to form. The album has consistency (there are lots of good songs here) but unfortunately there are no classics. And yeah, i can see where your going in your doherty and barat comparison. I think barat brought the raw energy that you can feel when listing to the libs stuff. Shotters nation is quite sombre at times and i miss that energy. On the other hand DPTs have the hooks and solos but lyrically they’re not quite as strong and not as scruffy!
dirty pretty things stole their own name from their night club I do believe.
I hadn’t noticed that actually, but it is a little more morose a lot of the time isn’t it. DPT were terrific live last year, but I’ve not heard anything of them since. Babyshambles are playing later this year, but it’s in one of those big shitty arena things where I absolutely hate to see music.
“dirty pretty things” god that names complete bollocks theres no dirty beautiful music in carlos barats band if anything they should call babyshambles dirty pretty things as this album is slighty less rough than down in albion but it still shows a scruffy libertine look which we all love and miss to be honest with you i think all this talk of libertines reunion is rubbish pete’s the only one who would consider the move for the music i think carl reckons it would be a good move because of all the attention and money he could out of it and maybe try and relight hopes of a sucessful dirty pretty things album
Dale, I do think its important that a band’s name literally reflects their output. Many bands have been quite frankly laxidasical about their efforts to be anything other than nominally monikered. I feel Led Zeppelin are the most disappointing here.
Dirty Pretty Things is certainly a slightly misleading name though. Compared to James Blunt, maybe they are scruffy, but compared to the punky genre they’re working in, anything but.