Released 2nd December via BMG
5/10
The Libertines released their sophomore self-titled album in 2004. Following the unarguably fantastic Up The Bracket, it was the last truly great album frontman Peter Doherty would release. Since then, there have been three Babyshambles albums, one solo album and last year’s Libertines comeback album. None of them have come close to reaching the soaring heights of the first two albums.
And yet, I find out that Doherty is releasing a new album and once again I convince myself that this is the one: that this is the album where Doherty reproduces that frantic beautiful chaos we all know he is capable of and reclaims his title as brit-punk royalty. And, once again, I am disappointed.
Taking its name from the series of German protests, Hamburg Demonstrations is a misleading title for Doherty’s sophomore solo release. The album is less a fierce riot and more a collection of unguided ideas. One look at the tracklist and it’s clear that Doherty isn’t inciting any revolutions: songs with names like ‘A Spy in the House of Love’ and ‘I Don’t Love Anyone (But You’re Not Just Anyone)’ will induce a sinking feeling in any Doherty fan’s stomach. The former track relies on tempo changes to provide any song development, while the latter is a slow ballad that’s about as tiresome and banal as it gets.
That’s not to say that Hamburg Demonstrations is a bad album. Doherty has incorporated a wider range of instruments into Hamburg Demonstrations, which results in a more wholesome and warm sound than previous solo effort Grace/Wastelands. Many songs have the erratic structures and unpredictable melodies which are so quintessentially Doherty.
Certain tracks stand out. ‘Down for the Outing’ is a poetic ode to British disillusionment. ‘Flags From the Old Regime’, a dedication to Amy Winehouse, allows some of Doherty’s old lyricism to shine through. However, the overall product is lacking in energy and this album is one we’ve heard too many times for it to feel original.
Maybe it was the influence of Carl Barat and Mick Jones that made The Libertines so great. Perhaps it was a fresh faced attitude to music and a lack pressure to build on hype. Or, maybe, it was the drugs.
For whatever reason, since The Libertines came out it’s been an endless cycle of anticipation and disappointment for Doherty fans. Hamburg Demonstrations in no way breaks this cold of ‘just okay’ albums.
Anyway, there’s always next time.
