Babyshambles - Shotters Nation (Regal)
4/5
By: Alex Lee Thomson
Happy holidays everybody, Christmas has well and truly come early for anybody thinking of buying this 33rever. When Pete Doherty left The Libertines, a lot of people wrote his career off. Yet here we are several years later talking about 'Shotters Nation', a comprehensive catalogue of truly strong rock and roll. When 'Down In Albion' came out, it was among a storm, but ever since certain relationships ended and certain habits became less of a weight on his mind, we've heard less of the man in the run up to the release of its successor. Heck, even the tabloids pretty much breezed past his latest rehab visit and court appearance. 'Shotters Nation' however is no less appreciated by those who actually care about Pete's music.
What's plain from the opening few moments is how 'Shotters Nation' sounds the very best it could, and that's in no small way down to new producer Stephen Street (Blur, The Smiths), but with Doherty too really focusing harder than perhaps ever before. The results speak for themselves, that charm and poetry now coming from a comprehensible and well tuned voice rather than the whiney, twirling drill of his last record. You don't have to kid yourself that these songs are good, as many had to with '...Albion', they just are, being the simple structured, naturally unforced and catchy tunes that their debut should have had but so clearly didn't. 'Down In Albion' , comparatively, was full of cheap tricks, the highlights being single dimensional tracks like 'F**k Forever' or the musically charming but lyrically poor 'Albion' itself, but this time around Doherty has laid an authentically proficient vocal over some genuine melodies, the kind that made 'Up The Bracket' warm our blood. Not that it's 'Up The Bracket' of course, but it's far closer than '...Albion', 'The Libertines' or certainly 'Waterloo To Anywhere' was.
Each song here carries its own identity and though nothing quite as outright as something such as 'Pentonville', the more subtle dynamics of the guitar playing ensures a packed ideas box when it comes time for singles. The first one of course was the familiar strum of 'Delivery' which sounds brilliantly alive on the record but by no means could be classed as its highlight, the number in fact being a far cry from the depth that Babyshambles can at times dwell as a band. Songs such as 'Unstookie Titled' and 'You Talk' progress the band and show a growth in skill in arrangement while 'The Road' takes you back to 'Boys In The Band' with that rolling, fast punk element and feeling of camaraderie. There were copious references in this to The Libertines days and though not all the allusions are as obvious as the nostalgically quipped 'Up The Morning' that also has a reflectively overlapped vocal, it's the comfort of in-jokes and hints at his druggy persona that steer this towards your heart effortlessly with the kind of comfort an old dusty favourite from the attic would convey.
Strictly speaking, all the best guitar bits of the record have an almost unnerving familiarity about them, from the Blondie-like 'You Talk' chord progression to the very noticeable Kinks-aping 'Delivery', and because of that you could never give this the same wand of innovation you could have praised even the out-there-on-a-limb 'Down In Albion' with, but with less chaos it's easily the more enjoyable album. There's a chance this more approachable method could render it with a shorter shelf life, but however this sounded Pete was never going to win. If it was the same ramshackle, half-baked platform as '...Albion', he would have been disregarded as the junkie so many thought he was, and yet if it was too pop and seemingly insincere he would have been branded a traitor. Either way the guy was f**ked, and so 'Shotters Nation' is a wonderful compromise. Lyric fans will no doubt be able to deconstruct every sorrowful rock 'n' roll sentence while the less cautious listener can cleanly take pleasure in the music, a negotiation not really achieved previously by the band.
When it comes down to it, this is the Pete we love and the band we dream Babyshambles should be. It's fun rock 'n' roll with great words that at times is in your face with aggression while at others contracts into itself mournfully, either direction taking us into the kindliness of the piece with our eyes and ears open and perked. There are songs to really get excited about, and not just because the chorus has a swear word in it. This album has been well made, fiercely recorded and unbelievably well produced. If their last album was this inspiring there's almost no question that out of the barrage of Doherty headlines that followed its release, more of them would have been about the music itself. Don't avoid this for fear of disappointment This album is Peter Doherty at his best. Enjoy it.
Watch the video to 'The Delivery' HERE.
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