in which the Likely Lads return for a spot o’ wisdom
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[6.33]
Micha Cavaseno: Doherty’s laying the Strummerisms on a little thick, but there’s a certain weirdness to it that has me wondering if he’s been checking up on King Krule; there’s a certain sea-sickness that reminds me of late-period Clash, Franz Ferdinand, The Good Bad & The Queen. Even never was types like Detatchments. At the end of the day, this is still a band of capability, and the fact that in their decade of wildness they’ve gotten rid of the monotonous “LADS GOING TO THE PUB” charge and can finally start talking about the hangover with some ease should be noted.
[6]
Alfred Soto: For a couple of years in the early 2000s I felt like the only member of their American fan club. Not much to pine for in the ensuing decade, I’m afraid.The guitars still chatter, volubly, the rhythms still stop and start in unexpected places. In the first post-chorus verse Barat sings with clarity and force about looking at his ugly twin in the mirror; because it’s The Libertines, I’m sure he means Pete Doherty, the only person who’s ever been the love of his life. In short, a welcome comeback, even if we have to endure the track’s wisdom. Advise them to veto that organ though.
[7]
Thomas Inskeep: It’s odd to me that Jake Gosling – producer of the likes of Ed Sheeran and One Direction – produced the Libertines’ first album in 11 years, because on “Gunga Din” they’ve never sounded more indebted to the Clash, even with Mick Jones having helmed their first two albums. This skanks like “White Man in Hammersmith Palais,” a bit derivatively, but it does so well. Put it this way: this is a better Clash rip than Oasis ever did by the Beatles, if y’know what I mean.
[6]
Brad Shoup: “Hard won” is the adjective we’re supposed to drop, I guess, but what about that “sick and tired” line? Maybe that’s irony, or maybe I’m being unfair: this is a nice, reggae-haunted tribute to owning up to your shit. The refrain is generous but not sugary. There’s no guarantee that things are really looking up.
[7]
Edward Okulicz: If you were bored by the stream of Clash-following Brit-skank that the Libertines no doubt grew up listening to, it’s not all bad. The chorus is straightforward shouty power-jangle. Both parts remind me about how the perennially hungover people in my life are really complete bores, and how that’s also true for The Libertines.
[4]
Anthony Easton: The propulsive power of the guitar is almost as interesting as how the vocals seem to move through and not over or against those sounds. It’s an almost pure rock and roll record. Being from North America, where they were underhyped, for me it’s a refreshing reminder of how enjoyable the work could be.
[8]