The Libertines

In the seventeen months since London's Libertines released their awesomely shambolic
debut, the drug addiction and legal troubles of singer-guitarist Pete Doherty have
practically kept the British music press in business. Slightly less tuneful than its
predecessor, The Libertines makes Doherty's dramas seem less a roadblock than a crucial
ingredient; no band in recent history has better captured the vertiginous experi... More >

They didn't start as fast or punky as their reputation, and this seat-of-the-pants follow-up, every song cut quick lest Peter Doherty take a powder, often seems fragile, offhand, tentative, even enervated. But this isn't a weakness--it only makes their sound more their own. As with the Heartbreakers on the precious occasions when they jelled, their punk is overwhelmed by unhinged lyricism--with drum powerhouse Gary Powell assuring that they rock when need be regardless. (Grade - A-)