Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Nothing special. It's not bad, but very much the perfect example of an absolutely ho-hum album.
Temu Pulp?
It was fun. Reminded me of the Clash a bit but not quite as good. Certainly worth a listen.
I dunno, I thought they were interesting enough to let Spotify run and play me other stuff.
The perfect embodiment of a 3-star album. 7/10.
It sounds like the Kinks crossed with Pavement, with a very British aesthetic performed in an entirely ramshackle, tossed-off style. (Except they’re drunk and taking the piss in the basement practice space — which, judging from the lore surrounding this band, may have been the case.) On paper, I should be drawn to this. But while it has its moments, I mostly do not grok.
Kinda feeling that The Libertines were a great singles band, and, variably, a great live band, but that the albums don't quite reach the heights (and this is not as good as Up The Bracket anyway). Still, a fun snapshot of 2000s indie. 3.5
Ok
Ok
Not too bad really... I could listen to it again honestly
I managed to swerve this at the time. It's good to separate the headlines and hype from the music itself. Time has treated the Libs well. This is a great British pop album. Full of swagger, with a soap opera thrown in. The Morcambe and Wise of junkie pop.
They have matching 'libertine' tattoos they really do love each other ❤️❤️
Grew on me a little over a couple of listens, but still didn't feel quite like it'd earned its spot on the list.
It was okay, not my vibe really but like the instruments.
i thought this was fine. idk. i just kinda don't care. super grimy super british sleaze. awright then m8
inoffensive but underwhelming british indie/garage rock. for UK bands with this sound, i'd take franz ferdinand or arctic monkeys any day of the week, or the strokes if the colonies can get in on this. it's not bad music, but even after three (?) listens, none of the jangly guitars or pedestrian lyrics have wormed their way into my skull for any length of time. though the dudes in the band being in a tumultuous relationship is great. love wins/dudes rock, but sadly, even that won't save this incredibly average album. favorites: can't stand me now, the man who would be king, music when the lights go out, narcissist
Can see myself loving this in high school but not so much now.
There are so many hip 90s British "man" bands that I deftly swerved during this time. A lot of people, including my brother, really rate them but I didnt really care. Listening to their album for the first time I would amend my opinion to say that the songs are catchy and nice to listen, but there is nothing new under the sun here. I cannot go higher than 3 stars for this o ne.
Gut, aber packt mich nicht
They wear their influences in their sleeve. The album is a mish mash of many genres, from rock'n'roll to punk to country, but in the end I didn't find it very memorable. It's a good sounding album, the production is great, but all in all, halfway through I was bored. 2.5/5
Can’t Stand Me Now // The Ha Ha Wall // What Became of the Likely Lads
Evidently I had run into this one in the past as I already had a couple songs off this album saved in my Spotify. I wasn't overly familiar but I can see why these were tagged by me. The Libertines bring a nice indie alt rock sound with the right amount of British flair, almost like the younger less successful brothers of Arctic Monkeys. Most of the songs are quick fun hits with easily digestible hooks. There's nothing overly special about it, but it worked for me for 40 minutes. 2.97 stars
Strong, driving drum beats. Solid.
I'm not a fan of the myth and mayhem surrounding Pete Doherty, and I hadn't really taken the time to listen to the Libertines. Objectively, I think this is a good album - care has been taken over the lyrics, the arrangements, the variety. The janglier numbers aren't to my personal taste (NY meets northern England?) and I didn't get carried away by the faster, punky stuff - better live, no doubt. What I enjoyed was the more melancholy moments. Clearly, their relationship was complex. A mixed bag of an album, but worthy of being in the 1001.
twinks are ok
first listen super meh
boy, i really don't know what to make of this one. parts of it are pretty fun! parts of it are dreadful to listen to. this album is a little all over the place. clearly the attitude is the number one thing here, so it makes it a little hard to criticize, since i reckon the point wasn't to make beautiful music. they clearly don't give a shit. that doesn't mean that the rough-around-the-edges are great to listen to.
Forgettable but who am I to say no to some 2000s landfill indie? It was my gateway into punk, after all.
Bargain bin indie by a band who can't play. All most people remember of The Libertines was Pete Doherty sucking all the air out with his various drug addiction issue headlines. "Can't Stand Me Now" and "Don't Look Back Into The Sun" remain on regular rotation to this day though.
Not a bad album, but there was nothing on there that I will really remember.
J - 3/5 Best Track - "Can't Stand Me Now"
Music was fine. Singing was not.
Whilst never a particularly big fan (always too popular with the "oy oy, nawty ladz" crowd for my liking) it does make me nostalgic and wistful for a time when the UK wasn't totally shit. Bonus point for that.
406/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
I have a vague memory of them being so hyped when they came out, but I never got into them. Smart decision.
I liked their sound
Lots of drama with this album. But who cares.
Favorite Track: Music When The Lights Go Out
I liked it. Sometimes really interesting Bass lines. I liked "don't be shy" and a couple of other songs
Sounded A LOT like early The Arctic Monkeys albums, very similar. Who copied who? Either way, not as good as them, but it was a fine album if you're into this genre.
Another fine indie-pop band. This one was in the vein of Camper Van Beethoven, with a little raw punk edge peaking through around the edges. Didn't get me past a 3, though.
The most annoying album cover for a decent album. Fits squarely into 2000s Brit rock, but isn't offensive in any way. While no song stood out to me, the whole package was pretty good.
Better than I thought it would be
Think biggest surprise here was it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I was expecting. With Dohertys tabloid notoriety being kind of bigger than the music really have always avoided anything to do with them. It’s low fi garage rock revival, light and kinda fluffy, ok enough when on and enough to listen a few times, but then forgotten in the instance. It’s ok when I was expecting, well more? Just don’t see anything that super special here - but suppose every generation has its “hero’s” and they/this lands on that target with its mild catchiness and the wider social Image that Mr D in particular gained. Just music wise felt disposable. 3 Star
Rock muy británico tipo Blur, oasis etc.
I think there fun, very Rimbaud. I’m glad they exist nothing manufactured about them. I love the album cover heroine chic
It's like Arctic Monkeys but worse
Really like the soft part of music when the lights go out Since im not in the energetic mood it does not hit
Guitaren lød super fed!
Fine
Loved a couple of songs like The Saga and What Katie did but was pretty long and not exactly my thing
It’s perfectly fine
Ok but not great
Wat een zeroes reeks zijn we in beland zeg. Na de wat dansbaardere, gepoleiste indie rock van Franz Ferdinand en LCD nu tijd voor de no-nonsense, in your face garage rock van The Libertines. Geboren uit een zelfde noodzaak en tijdsframe, maar toch een heel ander product. Maar waar het vaak losbandig is, hou ik altijd wel echt van die subtiele temposwitch en zachtaardige poëzie van Pete Doherty. 'Music When Lights Go Out' en 'What Katie Did' zijn daar prachtvoorbeelden van. Ondanks dat het wat minder compleet en memorabel aanvoelt als het beoordeelde werk van de voorgaand benoemde bands, kan ik niet anders dan concluderen dat deze ook wel weer redelijk raak is. The Libertines worden terecht vaak genoemd als sleutelfiguren in de garage rock revival van deze eeuw, als een soort Britse evenknie van The Strokes, maar toch vind ik het ook nog wel ietwat ondergewaardeerd als je ze vergelijkt met hun tijdsgenoten aan andere kant van de oceaan. Dit is niet hun sterkste werk, maar desalniettemin een puik album. 7,5/10 Highlights: Can't Stand Me Now Last Post on the Bugle Music When Lights Go Out
Surprising album, I have never heard his music before
Swear I listened to this album just this morning but can hardly remember. I know The Man Who Would Be King pinged for me.
It’s fine. The indie landfill period never gave anyone time to breathe and stand on their own. It was hard for me to genuinely listen to this album for that reason.
#1 The Libertines ~ The Libertines On the start of this 1001 album journey is the sophomore album by the Libertines, a band who's music eventually got overshadowed by the infamously constant feuding between songwriters Carl Barat and Pete Doherty, eventually leading to the premature cut to the band's fame in the early 2000s before they reached their idea of 'Arcadia': a musical land of no rules. Well how's the music. Well the album is naturally unpolished as one would expect with garage rock and their 'Arcadia' concept. In fact you might believe that the album was done in one take with how some songs immediately lead into another with no warning, much more strikingly done than on other garage albums. Indeed, many of the songs have barely any mixing, many that overall this album might as well be a really wild live concert, especially when from nowhere Doherty starts playing harmonicas, trumpets and keyboards. What is noticeable though is how the climaxes come and go so quickly, as if the band deliberately holds itself back JUST as its about to reach an anticipated explosion of sound. This quirk therefore makes every song sound very fragile and fleeting, and suddenly the concept of 'drug highs' comes to mind about what this album sounds like. And why drug-highs? Because the lyrics are heavily centred around the unstable tension between Barat and Doherty, and this is made extremely clear by the first track and is hammered throughout the rest of the album. Doherty, coked and screwed up in the mind, being a mess in public. Barat, trying to stay sane throughout the entire ordeal (he actually tried to kill himself by smashing his head to a pulp on a bathroom sink, this is how stressful being in the band was). Perhaps an underrated aspect of the Libertines is particularly Doherty and Barat's lyricism, filled with caustic wit, lucid imagery and a lot of self-hatred. It follows the British tradition of kitchen-sink realism popularised by the Kinks, the Smiths, Blur and, eventually, Arctic Monkeys. It is the back and forth competitiveness within the lyrics that primarily give the Libertines its unique sound, and it is potentially its turnoff to some people, cause those lyrics easily rise into uncomfortable excess. As the British product of garage rock to coincide with the American Strokes, the Libertines hold a very interesting position in music history. A band that self-sabotaged their fame but gave the public taste-tests for UK rock music to come in the following decade. Frankly there are definitely worse British garage-rock albums done by other bands (*cough* Kaiser Chiefs *cough*) and there are CERTAINLY better garage-rock albums done by other bands, but if you are a fan of garage rock, I don't see why you shouldn't give this album, and the Libertines, a chance. Verdict: Like watching a very entertaining divorce
Ok. I liked some of the songs but now all.
Rock correct, moi pas problème
Pretty enjoyable indie rock, with better playing from the band than many indie albums have.
Cool. Nothing Else to say. I mean, It's not like I din't listened to things like that millions of times before. Just a regular rock album. 3 stars
British pop-rock, nothing very special. 3/5
meh
Decent but unfortunately my ex was really into them and so they don’t leave a good taste in my mouth. The last song was pretty incredible, though
It was aight
It's fine young rock/pop. 3/5
Some incredible grooves but the singing is mostly dreadful.
Meh.
liked it! sounded like the strokes a bit
This was rather fun, but… Pete Doherty. Can’t bring myself to rate it higher than 3.
If this came out in 04 I guess I could see it being influential for some late aughts stuff like arctic monkeys. But on its own it was replacement level indie that seems to be hogging a spot on the list.
Pretty good alt/indie rock. I liked it but not sure why it should be on the list.
Nothing special it all sounded the same but I respect the effort
Groundbreaking indie for the time, and listen able. Not my favorite but I can get the appeal.
Fun album!! I mean I liked it! I had fun listening to this. May never listen to it again though 6/10
A fun time inspired by classic rock and punk
It’s good, definitely feels of its time. For the mid-aughts bratty Brit rock, I’d rather listen to The Cribs 10 times out of 10 but I don’t dislike this. 3 stars.
Albumi #203, 08.05.2025 The Libertinesin toinen albumi julkaistiin vuoden 2004 elokuussa.
A band that was falling apart records music that was falling apart. The most important band in Britain for about 10 minutes and then they got swallowed up by drugs, models, tabloid nonsense, robbery, fist fights and any number of other cliches. Messy indie music for messy indie types. The singles were always great, the albums could never really stand up. Best Tracks: Can't Stand Me Now; Music When the Lights Go Out; Arbeit Mach Frei
If I knew about this band in high school, I would've loved them
Fun and upbeat but just not my sound. Can appreciate it for what it is, though!
Haven't heard much from the Libertines, except that Pete Doherty is a real a-class junkie and trouble-maker. Listened to this album half-attentively while cooking, and I didn't find it much interesting. I think it has a promising sound, but the songs don't grab me at all, sadly. Even now when skimming through it as I'm writing this, and I don't find it particularly noteworthy. Perhaps I need to listen to it a few times to appreciate it, not sure. Weak 3 for now.
I won't remember anything from this album an hour from now, but while listening, I bopped my head along and was in a pretty good mood.
Guitar pop
Didn’t listen much. Wasn’t hitting me today. Just fine
I believe somewhere I read Mick Jones was associated with this band, so I had some really high expectations. Those expectations were not met, but this wasn't a bad album. FWIW, the expectation was a more of a in your face/punk sound. Can't Stand Me Now was a good opener and I really liked the 3 song stretch of the Ha Ha Wall, Arbeit Macht Frei and Campaign of Hate. But outside of those tunes, found it to be a pretty "ok" sound. I was a little surprised to a song titled Arbeit Macht Frei and thought this is not going to be good. And then to follow it up with Campaign of Hate, well it worked out a lot better than I anticipated. Decent album. Not quite my taste, but a pretty good listen. 3
3 The Wikipedia page for this album describes it as “particularly biographical of the relationship between frontmen Carl Barât and Pete Doherty”, and I thought that was pretty neat - how often do you see bands fronted by a couple, let alone a gay couple? And I went right on thinking that even after listening multiple times because - Holy Britain, Batman - I could not tell you a damn thing that’s said anywhere here. Is it romantic? I don’t know, presumably. As it turns out, no, no it’s not. The two dudes were not, in fact, romantically involved, nor have they ever been, Wikipedia was simply referring to their platonic and working relationship. Oops. Though, to be fair, look up like any picture of the two - as of this writing, the group’s primary Spotify profile picture shows them seemingly inches away from shoving their tongues down each other’s throats. I think my confusion was somewhat grounded. I digress, this album was kind of a mess… but I also kind of liked it for that reason. As mentioned, it’s British to the point of borderline incoherency, which isn’t helped by the fact that the guys can’t really sing all that well either, and yet there’s just enough of a sense of drunken hooliganism to it all that I found it oddly charming. There were songs here that I found quite annoying at first, like Don’t Be Shy and Music When the Lights Go Out, that ended up growing on me upon subsequent re-listens. That said, this album’s biggest strength is also its biggest weakness - there’s certainly charm to be found in its messiness but not really a ton of catch. Like, some of these songs almost seem to make it a point to be as uncatchy as possible. Maybe that’s just a part of its garage and punk influence, but it doesn’t really lend itself to a ton of replayability, especially considering the lack of clear messaging or direction. Speaking of punk influence, I was pretty surprised to see that this was produced by Mick Jones of The Clash, as I didn’t really find that it translated into the music in any meaningful way. I mean, I guess it does feel like Barât and Doherty were going for a bit of Jones-Strummer dynamic of their own, but if so, this is like the Walmart-brand version of that in comparison. Despite its flaws, there’s just something about this album that I kinda liked. Maybe it’s a situation where I like its energy more than its actual music, I don’t know, but I’m walking away feeling positive about it. Though, apparently the BBC once ranked this as the #3 most overrated album of all-time, right behind Nirvana’s Nevermind and Coldplay’s X&Y, which is absolutely mind-boggling to me - not necessarily because I disagree, but because I have no idea how it even ended up on a list like that with those artists.
Honestly one of the more interesting and overall likable out of the records I’ve given a 3/5. Just a couple too many tracks that feel flat compared to the other, better ground they cover through the album. Good energy, convincing enough mix of styles. Perhaps a bit too obviously Clash-coded. 7/10
This started out good but felt very same-y by the end.
Pretty good but didn't blow me away. Decent indie rock.
Didn't like first songs, middle-end is norm
Enjoyable 2000’s indie Brit rock with some echoes of the Smiths. I much prefer their contemporaries like the Arctic Monkeys, but here the sound is a bit more raw and immediate. Highlight for me was the opener, Can’t Stand Me Now. This one will definitely get a few repeat listens from me, but I didn’t quite click with the rest of the album. A low three for me ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
også helt ok..
Really enjoyable to listen to but nothing stood out lyrically or musically as superb.
This started off really strong but didn't really do anything exceptional for me.
I don't know, it's competent and fun rock music. It doesn't astound me, but it doesn't offend me either. I had a fine time listening to it, will take the songs I particularly liked with me, and move on.
3 - I was expecting to like this more, sadly it just felt a little bit try hard by really trying to look like they arent try harding
This is pretty cool. I like it.
It had some good moments but in total it was not very different from all the other British indie bands from the early 2000s. And I never liked that sound.
It's an aight album. Can't really remember anything in particular after listening, but it's pretty good background music while it's on. Gets a good ole 3 from me.
This is just ok for me. I keep wanting to like it more but can't quite get there for some reason. Not really bad though.
Pretty good. The first track is really good.
Rating: 6/10 Pretty fun indie rock.
Good stuff.
New to me, and I kind of liked it. The highs outweighed the lows for me, with the extremes on both ends being really enjoyable, and really not. Maybe a decade behind its time, but overall, 2 snaps up.
- Liked this better than I expected. I will need to look into their other output based on this listen. -
I didn’t enjoy this on first listen but half way thru I started to rly like it so I restarted and found out this was brilliant. The album cover said different but it sounded like heavier the smiths which was great to hear. There were some duds where the vocals were rly annoying but others were it was great. Most of the songs were fantastic and a great indie band which I didn’t expect would be one. Ughhh idk solid 7.1/10 3.5/5
You know, there's only so many 2000s British indie rock albums you can listen to before they stop impressing you. This album's good, but not an essential listen in my eyes. The singing does its job. It's certainly British. The style's good. Maybe a bit repetitive, but it's alright. The writing isn't spectacular or anything, but it's not offensive either. The album peaks at the beginning with "Can't Stand Me Now." I wouldn't call this a bad album, especially as far as debut albums go. However, I just don't see anything special that The Libertines do with this album that bands like The Strokes hadn't done before and that bands like Arctic Monkeys haven't since done better. This is a passable garage rock revival debut album, but nowhere near as good as something like Is This It. Solid 3/5.
[3.5]
A good album, I liked Can't Stand Me Now and The Man Who Would Be King the most.
A day after listening, I tried to remember what I've heard so I could write the review. Realized after a few seconds that what was playing in my head was the Arctic Monkeys, not The Libertines. Quite telling.
Good opening, rest is average
Okay Britt rock from early 00"s. Nothing really great, but nothing bad about it
Not really for me.
3/5 as a prelude to the Arctic Monkeys.
2nd tier Brit Pop
Thought I would like it, then actually played it and thought I would hate it. Turns out if was....fine lol
Jangle rock posing as punk. Well executed and very well produced but ultimately forgettable music for playing in a hipster cafe at a volume that's just a little too loud for conversation. 6/10 Overrated
Main claim to fame was that the singer dated Kate Moss, who was the top fashion model at the time. The music was nothing new. It has good songs and pretty bad songs. This style was trendy for a while with bands like the strokes and arctic monkeys, etc. The Libertines are not the worst of the bunch, but they don't feel essential to me. Favorite song: arbeit macht frei.
This was fine and pretty enjoyable to listen to but nothing stood out as spectacular
Pretty solid.
This is good - very catchy to listen to. Do I hear some Television here?
Never really gave The Libertines a listen which is odd cuz a lot the music I like is indie. The first few tracks were ok but the song that piqued my interest was The Man Who Would Be King. It has some great instrumentals. From there the album improved for me. Loved how Narcissist flowed into The Ha Ha Wall too, very seamless. After that I lost interest again, decent album overall but deducting points because justice for Mark Blanco and way better indie bands out there.
The first 45 seconds I’m like ahhh what a nice instrumental this will be fun then BOOM AHHHHH HE SOUNDS LIKE MORRISEY AHHHHHH!!! I’m only partially kidding. I don’t wanna say I had high hopes for this album, but anytime I see something post-2000 I’m hopefully for a breath of fresh air. I didn’t necessarily get that here. I heard a bit of what was contemporary for this albums time, but nothing that Arctic Monkeys didn’t do better at a similar/slightly later time. “What Katie Did” was a fun little stroll of a song. “Road To Ruin” had a very The Clash sort of marching vibe to it. As the album begins, so it ends with a Morrisey/Smiths style song in “What Became of the Likely Lads”. I think this album is good for its aesthetics, isn’t a bad listen by any means, but doesn’t leave a lasting impression or differentiate itself from the crown of British rock at the time. Some vibes but nothing more / 5.
hmm. A modern take on punk rock?? Not sure if I like it all the way through, but great things here and there.
Has some nice songs, but the vocals are off too many times for me to get to 4 stars.
Parts of this were ok, but overall I didn’t think this was a very good album. 2.5 elevated to a 3 since I didn’t turn it off.
Diggar gitarren, bra riffs, bra melodier
This was pretty okay. Need to give them a few more listens.
Sounds a lot more like the Arctic Monkeys than I remembered. Liked it but my attention kind if went in and out for some reason. I wanted it to be a 4 but I think I’m landing on a high 3
A fun indie rock album, but not much more to me.
An old indie blast from the past
3.0 - Ok
This wa s pretty good. I didn't know this band. They sound very British.
It was alright. I can't say I really loved any specific song, but they seemed like good music for indie background playlists.
You ever make an album with fourteen pretty good songs on it, but it’s actually the same song dressed in fourteen different outfits? If you need any help, contact The Libertines in 2004. They’ll be sure to have some insight. 3/5
More listenable than most of the punk albums on here, but I still can’t stomach more than a 3.
I like the energy.
Just makes me want to hear Arctic Monkeys.
I’m stunned by how little reaction I have to this music. Entirely forgettable.
I'm sure it's a good album, just not my thing
Music for people whose identity are tied to drinking too much and being strung out.
Absolutely hate the cover art, the playing is sloppy, but I don't mind the songwriting that much. Still, probably won't re-listen.
Visceral, high energy, low fidelity garage rock. Very very fun album, not the best of the genre or category but a definitive tastemakers selection.
Isn’t this the band where the guy’s cat also has a smoking problem? That’s cooler than any of their actual music. C
Fresh and a nice sound.
i spoke too soon
Meh, interesting but not my cup of tea :|
I like how it sounds, seems to be inspired by the cure, the smiths. But then switches to a more 2000s rock sound, white stripes ?
Enjoyed this album but not sure it was memorable.
I'd been eagerly awaiting this one, because this seemed like something I'd like. It came out when I was 18 and theoretically was in my musical wheelhouse at the time. I'm not sure how I'd never heard of them before. Anyway, it did nothing for me. I found it pretty bland and forgettable overall. Maybe I would have liked it in 2004, but not today.
Not bad.
Was expecting more wasted waif pop rather than the dueling swagger that comes later in the album, although last shadow puppets do it way better
Had some moments that the vocals reminded me of The Cars somehow? Overall something that is just fine by me but not moving the needle. 3.5
Nice slice of the timeframe. Overall decent music, anything else does not matter
Not quite as dull as similar acts within the genre. I enjoy the sporadic guitar breakouts and the intermixing of interesting musical instruments. The vocals are fun, pitchy at times, and sometimes the instruments get a little carried away about breaking from the key, but it’s punk rock, man.
Have you ever run with someone who’s convinced that their buddy’s band is the next big thing, and then you go and listen to them and you’re like “I guess their pretty good compared to the other local bar bands, but not enough to make it big, you know?” That’s this album, but for some reason they actually did make it big.
The music is well performed and has a good structure but the singer isn't great. It sounds pretty similar to a lot of albums on this list and does little to stand out.
First song is a banger but it’s all completely forgettable after
Seems like a fun album but nothing to write home about.
Like the genre but this album seemed a bit slow for me
Hm, not sure I've ever heard of The Libertines before, and I don't think I've heard anything from this album on the radio either. The opening track initially sounded a bit like they'd stolen U2's The Edge for their garage band, but then the opening lyrics made me panic that somehow this was a Morrissey/Cure/Smiths knockoff band. It doesn't appear that any of that is the case, but it does suggest that they struggle to distinguish themselves, at least in my ears (later on there's even shades of Pulp and maybe some Clash too). An OK album, I guess, but nothing particularly struck me as especially interesting, entertaining or distinctive (The retro "What Katie did" was probably the best of the lot). Honestly, I'm not even sure it warrants the 2005 BBC poll ranking of third most overrated album ever, although I guess my ignorance of them wasn't shared broadly then or now. I'm grateful, though, that this is the only album by them in this collection, and not at all surprised to discover that their lone entry in the book didn't last very long after the first edition.
Didn’t hate it, but don’t need to listen to it again
3/5. There is an amateur vibe the Libertines bring, like they are casually playing music, like a couple of kids in college. This does carry over sometimes to the actual songs, making some skippable. I do think the album as a whole has a chill energy, college music for sure. I can dig it only so much with the Brit Pop influence, which I think is slowly starting to become my least favorite genre. Thankfully I don't live in Britain or I'd never be free of that accent. Best Song: Can't Stand Me Now, The Ha Ha Wall, Road To Ruin
Pete Doherty sounded exactly like I expected him to. All told this felt like generic rock album featuring snotty punk vocalist #301321. I didn't her anything ground-breaking here at all
This wasn’t bad, but I never have a need to listen to this again.
Obvious influences from The Clash, The Kinks, The Jam and even The Sex Pistols. I can appreciate the lo-fi production as it honors the style. And even though the songs are short, they simply just aren’t memorable. This was a perfectly fine listen, but far from unique or great. I’ll take my post-punk from the original bands listed above any day over these guys.
Man, I thought this was all over the place. Where the hell did that harmonica come from on the first song!?! Really enjoyed music when the lights go out. But overall didn’t love this. Didn’t hate it. Also did a quick search of albums from 2004…quite a few I’d put over this. For example: Arcade fire - funeral Green Day - American idiot My Chemical Romance - 3 cheers Taking Back Sunday - where you want to be Killers - hot fuss White stripes - get behind me satan Anyhoo…a generic 3
Didn't like this as much as I thought I would... sometimes really short songs feels like an incomplete album. This is good, not great. 3.25/5
Fun album. Very enjoyable
Very good in parts. Shambolic elsewhere, which I guess is what they wanted?
The Libertines At the time I liked their first album a lot and off the back of Don’t Look Back into the Sun and Can’t Stand Me now I was really excited to see them at Reading in 2004, but they all went tits up and didn’t play. Listening now Can’t Stand Me Now still holds up, it’s a great bit of mid 2000s indie with added self mythologising, the lyrics feel quite quaint today but at the time it was prime indie melodrama. The Man Who Would Be King and What Became of the Likely Lads are the types of song it seems they are always striving for, that sense of (rather cliched) doomed hedonistic romanticism that they never quite manage often enough. But on these two tracks it does all come together with their ramshackle indie punk vibe to make some very listenable bits of music. Outside of those tracks though, there isn’t much of great interest. Stripped of the tabloid notoriety and the excitement of the moment much of it feels quite one note and curiously lifeless. The bass is generally good, but despite all the other elements being present - the twin guitars, the punky rhythms, the slurred delivery and deliberately self regarding ‘poetry’ - it ends up feeling too studied and affected to be genuinely dynamic and exciting and there just don’t seem to be enough good songs. A 3 feels fair, it’s a nice bit of nostalgia with some good songs, but not much else to be essential listening. I may be tempted to stick it on again at some point, but equally I’ll just as easily forget about it again. 🗽🗽🗽 Playlist submission: Can’t Stand Me Now
This is the soundtrack that plays to my interpretation of the typical UK millennial's college experience. Pour me a Guinness and let me commiserate with my mates over times past.
Overall: 5/10 Not much to say about this one, I really don't see what makes it stand apart from all the other garage rock bands that were popping up in the early 2000s. The songs are catchy and inoffensive but kind of boring with not much variety. I will say though, they at least beat Arctic Monkeys to the punch...too bad Arctic Monkeys did it better. Fav Song: Narcissist Least Fav Song: The Man Who Would Be King
This album isn’t bad but it isn’t remarkable. I’ve heard this album at least 7 times on this list.
Pete Doherty is altijd vaker in het nieuws geweest vanwege zijn drugsgerelateerde problemen of zijn beroemde vriendinnetje Kate Moss, dan vanwege zijn muziek. Ik heb dan ook nooit echt naar the Libertines of Babyshambles geluisterd. Nu is het huiswerk, prima, dan zullen we het maar eens gaan beleven. Afgezien van de licht zeurderige en semi-verveelde zang, is het gitaarwerk prima garagerock. Er zitten elementen van zowel Blur als Oasis in, dus het valt in de categorie Britpop ook. Ik vind het op zich niet vervelend om te luisteren, maar een cultstatus zal het bij mij nooit bereiken denk ik. Niks mis mee als het langs komt in een playlistje, maar ik vind het meer voor een vergeetbare 3, dan iconisch albumwerk.
I was not familiar with this album, but it’s not bad. Garage rock revival with a little bit of The Smiths thrown in. Pretty decent.
Poppy bouncy Brit Rock. Not as good as The Smiths, but fun to listen to. 3/5
Definition of "fine". Absolutely inoffensive to listen to in the background.
This one grew on me, needed right time to listen. Calm evening. Not sure if I hear lounge singer British G-Love or bouncy clear mellow punk.
Not bad
Solid, but nothing spectacular. Just missing the energy that I usually like from this genre.
Felt very messy, but I dug the vibes.
Good stuff! I’m glad to have heard it, but it made me realize I’m biased against British accents in rock music.
Not offensive, maybe to a fault.
bands like The Libertines are one of those inscrutable British Music Press Things that you hear about by virtue of being a relic signifying when the music press was a thing people cared about in any real capacity, same as Razorlight or Kaiser Chiefs. as an American, whose hipster music press bets paid off for the most part (yknow, up until it stopped mattering), it's easy to feel smug about their selections aging kinda badly. maybe it's unearned smugness, but it just feels good knowing Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene definitely did put out some enduring, post-hype classics whereas The Libertines did not. i enjoy sloppy records, but there are some parts where i'm wondering: did they not have enough studio time? surely you could have gotten ONE more take from the vocalists. they could have played the rhythm guitar just one more time. they could have turned down the levels in the studio down by like 3 dB. they could have thrown out a few songs that go nowhere and waste time. as a result, it turns out as an incoherent mess of tropes i've seen better done elsewhere. i don't hate it, but it definitely doesn't pass the sniff test if you're not some Tony Blair-era NME writer looking for the next Clash. i can't see a world where the Libertines matter past 2005, and i guess they couldn't either. also, please don't release an album that's self-titled and not your debut. who do you think you're kidding?
Before listening, my thought was, “Oh goodie. British indie. That never sucks.” But I was pleasantly surprised. This is actually pretty good. Might even listen again.
this sounds like if the kooks were a clash cover band. gets pretty samey. the lead singer could not be asked to care and is also buried in the mixes a lot of the time. hits kind of a nice melancholic tone at points. royally picks up in the middle- "the ha ha wall" has a great guitar solo, "arbeit macht frei" is basically a hives song and it goes, "campaign of hate" has really enamoring guitar work and hilarious lyrics. why do all the guitar solos come in a verse earlier than they should. can't decide whether it wants to be dinky jangle pop or fuzzier garage rock. obviously have talent and swagger, they pull off a lot more than other bands could with this sound, it's just all so fleeting. feel like this might grow in my estimation if given a few weeks to let the songwriting marinate. feels constrained by its sound, like it wants to be more versatile but can't quite shake its foundations. all that being said? it's pretty good lol
Some of these are terrible and some of them are fun, averages out to an ok album
Nothing Notable.
Reminds me of my punk faves from the 70s, but polite and defanged.
i don’t know, it’s probably a 3
3.75
As ephemeral and forgettable as anything on this list, but not unpleasant. Hard to cheer for Pete Doherty in any context.
Just another British indie rock album, nothing special
It was fun enough some times. The album cover is not made for me, I wish it was anything else. Will I listen to again: 25%
first four songs are insufferable but finds it stride afterwards
The album cover is every adult male post 2020. I actually also have libertine tattooed on me. Stick and poke only. Where’s my vape? This starts like fats domino mixed with the Smiths. Why is there this old school rock element? Interesting. I didn’t hate this. Yeesh, A few sour notes in here. It sort of has a nice melody but goes off the rails into a big nothing. What is this singing man? Holy hell. It’s not even cool ironic. Meh maybe a little. I thought this would be worse than it is. No boo Radleys so far. Ugh this one is where the energy kind of dies off. It’s shouty, but still somehow dead. Even chimp noises can’t save this. This is all fine. I’ll probably purge this from my mind the second it’s over but that’s not due to it being bad. It’s just ok. This one floated by. The Ha Ha Wall. This one is cool. Erratic weirdness in the midst of a nice, punchy melody. Happy, bizarre, interesting. Oh buddy. A little bit of a punk riff. Hell yeah. Fast, aggressive, fun. Let’s go. So clearly influenced by the Smiths and the Clash. This one veers too near to reggae for my ears, but again, not as bad as some of the shit (U2 I’m looking in your direction) we’ve been subjected to. Doo Wop. Influences on their sleeves. Nah this one wasn’t for me. Dragged. Back to the energy. This album is surprising me big time Cool Cool x2 Will we ever know what truly became of likely lads???? Oh maybe this acoustic person will tell us. While I primarily embarked on this journey to discover more pretentious hipster music, I have been mostly disappointed by the indie offerings thus far. This is the closest I’ve come to finding a new favourite as this album delivered far beyond expectations. Not perfect and still a little insufferable at points, but by god, The Libertines are decent and I’m not afraid to say it in a review that’ll never be read. 3 HIGHLIGHTS: Don’t be Shy, The Ha Ha Wall, Arbeit Macht Frei
Sound a little like a 2000s iteration of the Clash, although it felt a bit more “pop conscious.”
It was OK.
Best Song: Campaign Of Hate. Punctate and punkish. Wish there'd been more of this. Worst Song: Don't Be Shy. This sounds musically and lyrically like a drunk man pestering a sober stranger to join him on the dance floor. Overall: Standard British fare, but this time in a fun an irreverent-enough manner that it is kind of endearing. Listening to this album feels like hearing some proto-Arctic Monkeys. It's not bad, but I'm also not that excited about it.
These guys were meant to play in the 80’s. That’s not a negative comment though. They just were born later. I am sort of surprised that this album was recommended from this site. I enjoyed it but considering their more prolific contemporary The Vines existed, I’d rather just listen to them. However, I will listen to the album some more and it may end up growing on me more. Not sure if I think it’ll be higher than a 3/5 though.
Better than pop, not as good as punk. It leans more alternative-punk, so I'm cool with it.
It was fine, they have a decent jangle to ‘em. Pete Doherty is really good at the snarky, overly British delivery. He’s is or at least was a true wanker so you know he’s not just putting it on for a show. 3 stars
Heavily influenced by the kinks!
++: Don't Be Shy, Music When the Lights Go Out, Narcissist, Campaign of Hate +: Can't Stand Me Now, Last Post on the Bugle, The Man Who Would Be King, What Katie Did, The Saga, Road to Ruin, What Became of the Likely Lads / France +-: The Ha Ha Wall, Tomblands 7,2/10
I liked it. I saw on Wikipedia Mick Jones produced it and you can definitely hear it on some songs like Tomblands
Like other 1000s of 1000s Indie Rock music…5/10
i have nothing to say. it's music.
Garage rock revivalists, The Libertines, have definite raw energy, but much of the times the tunes themselves don’t really hold up as anything special
Few okay songs on this, but honestly, it's pretty generic indie from that time...its not bad, just hardly important, 2.5 rounded to a 3
3.5/5
Some good songs, but quite samey throughout.
A perfect window into 2004 grunge/garage rock scene and the breakdown of the relationship between Pete & Carl. The tabloids couldn't get enough of this and Pete's addictions, and despite this they managed to pull together a solid effort. Best: Can't Stand Me Now Worst: Road to Ruin
Enjoyed it. A pretty solid 3.
decent indie rock sound. not terribly distinctive, but solid
3/5
3.5
Ok, a few listens maybe needed.
Anarchic pop-rock that was close to growing on me.
Indie garage rock. Ho-hum. It's perfectly fine; I found it really hard to care. I hate to leave reviews this short, but I really can't think of anything else to write up. No frame, no lens, nothing to write a faux-essay about. Just, "Ho-hum. Indie garage rock."
Not bad, not particularly special
The Libertines is the second studio album by The Libertines, originally released in 2004. This is some decent indie-influenced-pop-rock. I can see some of these tracks being pretty popular in the pub scene. Their sound kinda leans into the 70s English Punk sound, reminiscent of bands like the Sex Pistols and The Clash. They also pay a bit of homage to Britpop bands that came before them, like Pulp. It's not bad, but doesn't stand out much against the multitude of dime-a-dozen English indie bands coming out at the time.
Pop at its most casually engaging. Flashes of brilliance in great rollicking pub-fun rock like it was meant to be.
Surprisingly good. Lots of jangly guitars.
The album and aesthetic grew on me as it played, but the affected nonchalance of this band will never be a sound/vibe I'll actively enjoy. It's a little too precious and aloof for my taste. But what started as a 2-something crawled into 3-star territory.
These guys can write decent songs, but Pete has such an outsized personality and rough singing style that he overwhelms and sometimes even ruins the songs. I prefer their debut record, which is an even more ramshackle affair, but there, the messiness is charming, fun, and thrilling. It often sounds like things will crumble, and I'm astonished when it doesn't. This one is never quite a disaster, but their looseness doesn't always work in the songs' favor. 2.5 rounding up because I like how old-school they get.
Definitely a fan of '00s Indie Rock (/Pop Punk), so I do like this album. It reminds me of a lot of other bands/albums from the same time though, and doesn't especially strike me as a standout of the genre. Overall an enjoyable listen, but there's nothing to write home about here.
If I were 20 years younger, I'd almost certainly have bought this on release and loved it. As it is, even though I don't hate Doherty like a lot of my friends seem to, I can see it's a game of two halves. There are a few songs I really like (The Man Who Would Be King, What Became of the Likely Lads for example) but a lot that sound more like rehearsals than performances. I assume this is by design, whether theirs or the producers. Ultimately, it's mostly filler.
6/10. It sounds like a generic indie album.
Oikein menevää garagepoppia/rokkia! Ei tämä perusteellisesti ole sen erikoisempaa kun muukaan saman genren musa, mutta hyvin toteutettua matskua! 3/5
Example of this list being overly obsessed with the UK. It's fine.
Highly rated Indie album from 2004.
It’s ok. I remember when it came out with all the NME hype but I always felt it lacked something but not sure what
Seems like a solid album in the Franz Ferdinand/Strokes/Hives mold. I wasn't familiar with it before. I don't have a sophisticated opinion, other than to say that it seems decent, but I probably won't seek it out again.
The Man Who Would Be King and Can't Stop Me Now are great. Trailblazing yes. Fascinating, but hard to get into, far too repetitive.
Yeah, I'm enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would. Infectious, energetic, feels unique, hazy boozy. 3.3? It won't be on regular rotation, but it's a long way from bad. I've realised most of my preferred albums are shorter affairs. 45 mins ish. bishboshbash, done a music, thanks and carry on.
I had a lot of time for the “indie” rock stuff in the early 00’s. This album got a fair bit of play amongst a lot of better ones. Didn’t make me reminisce as I thought it would though. Some decent hooks and pleasant vibes but impossible to separate now from the antics and spectacle rock that the Libs became. If these dudes sat beside me in a pub now I’m more likely to roll my eyes at the needy nonchalance than anything else.
I've never been into punk generally, but I'm learning about it. This was a pretty decent album, and I say that as someone still in the "I don't like punk" camp. Found myself bobbing my head a few times.
cool, not my style
Some tracks were kind of fun (“Don’t Be Shy” is the only one I specifically remember), but overall mediocre and forgettable.
Very few albums do well when they play their best song first. Especially when they follow it with the worst 4-5 tracks before marginally salvaging the wreckage with the back end of the album. I feel like the album should have started around ‘Campaign of Hate’ and finished with ‘Can’t Stop Me Now’ (ish). Anyway, hugely overrated! 3.3
For some unknown reason, I feel that I should pay respect to this release, but I can't really enjoy it so much. It's nice and somehow cozy to listen to any indie British rock from early 2000, but in 2024, they lack something important that I can't name, but I can rate it with 3 stars to represent it.
I liked it
This was a pretty fun album, though I can't say that it grabbed my attention all that much. But, for the hellscape that was music in the early 2000s, it achieves the lofty heights of "pretty good" 3/5
I lessened but I don’t really remember. It must have been boring. Briitish punky, alternativsh basic stuff. I think I have heard of the band - maybe one of the members is very famous - I’m not sure and actually don’t really care.
Clever and cool, intentionally dissonant at times
Somehow missed these guys the first time round so first time listening to the album. I liked it. Reminded me of the early 90's UK pop (before Oasis fucked it up).
This is ok, but not really my vibe. Don’t think I’d listen to again.
Indie rock. Ni fu ni fa.
I remember The Libertines being the indi darlings of 2004. Their retro punk with its bawdiness and driving beat felt fresh and exciting then and is still gripping now. They keep it loose but tighten up when it’s needed. Some of the slurring and pitchiness of the vocals has lost its charm for me, but overall, I think this album holds up. 3.9
This album started a mad surge of imitators
Has some great songs
Forgettable. 2.5/5
bloke singing sounds a tad drunk incoherent mumbling sorta sounds ok 3.4/5
Really enjoyable. I’m in doubt but I think it don’t deserve a 4 quite. Pretty flawless though.
smashing mate
Is ok
These guys really tried. Without talent or charisma, the attempted to emulate the Clash and failed tremendously
Opening track is a banger and the early 2000s distilled into a few minutes but the rest is a bit lacklustre.
Yes! Great album!
Basically The Clash for Gen X, there's so much to dislike - their 'mythology', Pete's entire career etc etc but they do know their way around a tune and this is a good listen.
British indie. Nothing to write home about but this was ok.
недостаточно пение для меня, хоть и не скучно
The Garage Rock scene in the early 2000's were very interesting, it ranged from this to anything Jack White was involved in. And all of it was actually pretty good. I can see the formative aspects of it, but don't fully love it. It has a lot of potential, but ultimately just falls a little flat. Mick Jones being behind the board is always a little bit of a boost. Maybe with a couple of listens it might pop up to a 4 star, but today I'm not quite there.
This is an alright British alternative album. They were like a precursor to the arctic monkeys in style and sound but not as polished as them. Overall it’s British alternative and it’s okay. Not sure if I’d listen to them much as the arctic monkeys are better. 6.1/10
Not bad. Kind dug some of it. Would def listen again if it came into my feed.
Imagine Franz Ferdinand and The Strokes had a child, but the child was defected: That child would be The Libertines. "Music When The Lights Go Out" is good.
They've done nothing but rehash old ideas from the '60s-'80s. There is not a single catchy chorus in the entire album, and it takes more than a British accent to qualify as artsy. Also, for most tracks, I couldn't even tell you what the general theme is supposed to be.
The music isn't bad, but it's nothing novel. I didn't hate listening to it and enjoyed it, but when Spotify autoplayed a song after the album was done, I didn't even realize the album had ended
Not too impressed
It is English punk. It is what it is. It my favorite sound but not bad
3.5
Классическая индюшатина: чета громко, быстро, но не сочно. И вокал сексапильный. Не особо такое люблю, но вот когда от этой формулы отход хотя бы на чуть-чуть, и тогда уже неплохо
Classic 90s alternative rock sound. Nothing really drawing or unique about this sound, but still brings some nostalgia, even though I’ve never listened to this band before.
Pretty forgettable punk rock. Not sure why this album in particular stood out enough to be picked for this list but as a 90s kid who grew up on this stuff, I really don't think it does the genre justice.
I liked this one. This album is a true roller coaster of rhythmic feelings. Favorite track: Tomblands
I agree with the top review calling this landfill indie. It's fine but I've completely forgotten what it sounds like. I do know I enjoyed it while listening but that's it.
British garage rock revival from the mid 2000s. It was quite fun while listening to it but to be honest, it wasn't memorable music; I can't remember any of the songs I listened. This album made way to other British rock bands later, like the Arctic Monkeys for instance, which is imo a way better band than The Libertines were.
This grew on me on the second listen. Some interesting tracks for sure.
I already forget what this album sounded like and I listened to it yesterday.
An enjoyable listen, which I didn't expect at first
A nice album of hard rock well delivered and generally enjoyable if not unique. Doesn't really stand out to me on the crowded musical landscape 3 stars
Seems like relatively generic, if not enjoyable indie music. Although one would expect a singer that was addicted to crack to have a little bit more realness in their voice. Solid 3.0
Pretty solid, but ultimately kinda forgettable.
Fullt godkänd platta.
Sopivan rentoa rallattelua joka tyydyttää tarpeen jo ensimmäisellä soittokerralla. Meni sujuvasti läpi.
2.5
Good album with a couple of stand out tracks
I’m 160 albums into this project, and my only real complaint is the over-emphasis on British acts from the 90’s and 00’s. And here’s another one. The Libertines are more towards Indie, and it seems they were pretty popular in UK. But didn’t make a splash un USA. Overall, it is fine. But nothing really stands out. I’ll take the Fratellis over these guys anyway. As the album went along it seemed to improve, but not nearly enough to round to 4… Anyway, 3/5
This rattled along with some aplomb. Some nifty bouncy stuff easy to access. Overall entertaining and fun.
This album was better than I was anticipating it to be. Quite listenable.
Wow – that was fun!!! Never heard of the band before, and thought this album was incredibly well-done… I liked the originality of their sound, as it was a bit more complex than most bands of that time and genre… Best songs IMO, starting with the best were – “Road To Ruin” “The Ha Ha Wall” “The Man Who Would Be King” “The Saga” “When The Lights Go Out” Would probably give this a 3.50 if I could, but just not quite enough there to get this to a 4, so a dead-solid 3 for me, and glad that I listened…
It was nothing to write home about, but I liked it
I remember all the fuss about The Libertines back when this album dropped and I didn't find them that interesting to listen to at the time. Having not listened to their material for twenty years allowed me the chance to give it a fresh chance and it was better than I remembered. Not great though, just okay.
Can't Stand Me Now 3 Last Post on the Bugle 3.1 Don't Be Shy 3 The Man Who Would Be King 3.2 Music When the Lights Go Out 2.9 Narcissist 3 The Ha Ha Wall 3.4 Arbeit Macht Frei 3 Campaign of Hate 3.3 What Katie Did 3.2 Tomblands 3.1 The Saga 3.2 Road to Ruin 3.2 What Became of the Likely Lads 3 Score: 3.114285714
The Libertines sit somewhere between British new-wave, post-punk and indie pop. All three styles that are massively over-represented on this list. While I mildly disliked the most punk-like tracks on this album such as Don't Be Shy and Music When The Lights Go Out, most of the album is of quite high quality. Especially the guitar work is certainly not bad. Nonetheless, there's absolutely nothing new here. Not a single second of novelty on the whole album. While I certainly understand genre fans enjoying this, I certainly also understand the polling of this album as being highly overrated. 3.5 rated down.
It aight - 7/10
It was alright. I liked the chill songs more than the others. The guy on the cover looks like Jason Schwartzman.