Up the Bracket - Libertines (The)

Up The bracket is without a doubt, my favourite album of all time, everything about the album makes me sit up and take notice, makes me dance, and makes me realise just how talented these cockney lads were.

Every so often, an album is released that makes the entire country look at themselves, and a band reflects england as well as it ever could be, like the sex pistols and oasis, The Libertines, do just that.

For orginality, the libertines do the same as the sex pistold, show us what we are really like, and they do it well, but of cause, it is 70's punk for the new generation, in terms of attitude, the music could not be further from that.

The messyness of the album, is my favourite thing about it, which every track having superbly intertwining first and second guitars, which mould perfectly. The Libertines second, self titiled, album, does this as well, but what with the tensions between band members, the pair are not working together, and i find that up the bracket works much better.

On top of this, there is a large amount of definite singles on the album, which make it good, but even better when your realise that the songs that were not released are most certainly on a definite par at least with the singles. Here is a breakdown of each track.

Vertigo:
Starting out with a solid riff, and clapping as well as drumming, it sets out the pattern of very upbeat guitar, with a tinge of distortion, but not enough to make it any of genre than it is. Carl Barat starts to sing, and his voice does the music perfect justice, Pete doherty joins, and the harmony of the voices, similar as they are (when doherty is not... well) makes a great track.

Death on the stairs:
Similarly, starts with a very good riff, but this is backed up brilliantly by bass and a second guitar, during the verse, both guitars are playing in a completley differnt way, but it works brilliantly, a very upbeat verse, and a chorus which says "oh baby please kill me, no baby dont kill me" and builds up to climax which sees Carl pushing the aggresiveness of his verse, the second verse is Sung by pete, and knowing what we know now, his voice is unrecognizably brilliant,.

Horrorshow:
The music is superb, with a very fast, highly adrenaline pumped riff which screams with high distortion, enough thing that is high during the recording of this song, and that is Mr Doherty, although, he does not ruin the song, as his slurring actually helps the song progress, and the way the words "its pointed at my head" get slowly louder throughout the song, makes a brilliant climax, my favourite bit about the song however, is when the solo starts, pete doherty clearly throws his microphone and mike stand across the room, and action which perfectly shows, just what this song is all about.

Time for Heroes:
After hearing the previous song, many people would refuse to believe that the singer of the next song is pete doherty, but the sad truth is, it is. and with the two voices being heard only second apart, we see just what a superb talent doherty... was. this song brilliantly show what the album is about, showing the picture of an average night in London, and the shere britishness of is "there are fewer more distressing sights than an english man in a baseball cap." screams doherty half way through the song. A long, and brilliantly fitting solo, makes this a great song, if doherty's voice had remained like this throughout his life, The Libertines, would have, i have no doubt, conquered the world.

Boys In the Band:
A song about women exposing themselves to people just because they are in a band, this song is nevertheless again, brilliant, with the two guitars overlapping at random intervals, building up to a highly powered riff played by bother guitarist, and then the explosion of competing guitars, and Carl Screaming "your walking like youve never seen the light." an anthemic chorus, and another quality bridge later, it draws to a close.

Radio America:
an attempt at an accoustic, which for my money, does not work, i have deleted it from itunes, and for me, i do not count it in my review process.

Up The Bracket:
The title track of the album, Up the bracket follows radio america, and the change from accoustic, to a cockney man screaming at the top of his longs "get out of it!!"before any of the music starts, makes the energy of this song all the more brilliant. an excellent chorus, and a very nice solo, this song somes up the album best, and does a great Job.

Tell the King:
very similar to "the man who would be king" on the second libertines album, tell the king is almost a ballard, but it pulls it off brilliantly, with both singers showing that they have other options at their disposle, and demonstrating the clear problem of breaking the ice at parties. "you know i feel out of place, until im levered off my face" says carl, although Mr Barat is a rock star, so im doubting has any problems fitting in at parties, it is still a great line.

The Boy Looked at Jonny:
another "horrorshow" with doherty clearly on the crack, herorine or whatever, this song still has the energy, and a superbly anthemic "lai lai lai" chorus, the boy looked at jonny has two completely different dynamics in the same song,and they work. well.

Begging:
Another Carl Barat singing song, he sings a great verse, before the solid chorus about begging, begging starts with a nice riff, and then has the crashing chords of the libertines, which make it good.

The Good old days:
With possibly the most harmonic chorus the libertines have ever done, with doherty's voice being backed up by Carl singing perfect notes, a quite quiet song that builds up in the middle to another chorus, and then a slow leaving, which goes back to the beginning, and makes the whole track come to a close, in a very libertines-esque way, that nevertheless makes it sound superb.

I get along:
this song sounds very much like Carl barats new band, the dirty pretty things, with very high paced vocals, however, i will never forget, after the chorus, "i get along, just singin my song, people tell me im wrong.." the whole music stops and we have Carl, saying in an angry, defiant manner, which shows what the band are all about "F** em" a clear ending to the album, as it ends with the loudest and lossest singing that barat has done in the album, and draws the album excellently to close.

Showing a brilliant demonstration of london life, with great tunes, and agressive music, Up The bracket shows one of the best demonstrations of indie music that there is. High hopes there are for the arctic monkeys, could they be the next libertines, if they are, they will certainly be top of many favourite bands list, which the Libertines, for me, still sit at the top of. A tragic demise, but hopefully dirty pretty things can start where The Libertines left off.

Best Tracks: Time for heroes, Boys in the band, Up the Bracket