The Libertines’ wild ride Up the Bracket

The Libertines Up the Bracket

After listening to The Libertine’s latest LP, it’s easy to wonder how much the boys actually care about making music. Who knows how much these bar-hopping, garage losers actually care about songwriting and touring and press coverage? And who cares when the result, the raucous Up the Bracket, is this year’s hottest party album?

The Libertines are one of the first in an inevitable wave of Strokes-inspired groups (i.e. moptopped, misfit fetishists who worship bands like Velvet Underground, the Clash and the Buzzcocks). Even if you’re sick of hearing about new, ‘groundbreaking’ bands that prop themselves up with those classic acts, The Libertines will win you over. By the time you get through the snot rock whiplash of ‘Vertigo,’ the opening track, you’ll cease to care about the instant comparisons.

More than those oft-referenced bands, The Libertines churn out a Replacements-styled brand of stadium-sized, college radio station rawk but without the melancholic introspection and stadium-sized ambitions. Blending snappy brat-punk with a wistful type of new romanticism, The Libertines’ LP succeeds effortlessly. The album boasts tons of handclapping, foot-stomping songs that overflow with yummy hooks and sneering vocals.

Unlike certain current bands, The Libertines strike the apathetic, ‘We’re not even trying’ posture and mean it. As they race through each pulsating song with as much chaos and grace as any classic punk band, you know these British lads would rather hang out and spin some classic records, anyway. Songs like ‘Death on the Stairs,’ a song that out-Clashes the Clash, and ‘Boys in the Band,’ a bouncy, funky ode that indulges in some barbershop quartet harmonies, reek of dark bars, cheap beers, one-night stands and parties that break up at dawn. Don’t be fooled, thoug pay attention for the lovely, slowed-down moments, like ‘Radio America,’ an indie gem that floats by on a sea of delicate vocals, gently crashing cymbals and strumming guitars.

Despite complaints (‘They sound just like [fill in the appropriate band]!’), The Libertines are what has always been so great about rock ‘n’ roll. You can fall in love with a certain song or band, pick up some guitars with your mates and eventually pen and record tight, nervy songs that provide the ideal soundtrack for a hot, crazy night out.