The Libertines - 'What A Waster' / 'I Get Along' (Rough Trade)
5/5
By: Toby L
It's seldom the case where an eagerly anticipated debut-single comes along and blows away everything in sight. But - with The Libertines' 'What A Waster' - the individualistic four-piece have created the best Rough Trade moment since The Strokes' 'Modern Age EP' - and the most essential ode yet written to modern encumbrances of getting slightly in a state when perusing too many chemicals...
The lead-track is a wistful and utterly elegant furore of intricate, though simultaneously calamity-stricken, guitar-parts, complete with an eerily atmospheric chorus, consisting of the perplexing set of lines: 'Never really liked it anyway/Much preferred it the other way/Oh yeah', sung diligently by Peter Doherty.
'I Get Along', meanwhile, as snarled by Carl Barat, is their party-anthem - up-tempo, frantic, albeit with the sense of class and pop-credentials that will grant this band airtime on radio-stations, standing out as a golden, shining haven when put back-to-back with the likes of Atomic Kitten on the A-list. Despite this, an incendiary 'Mayday' finishes off the release, weighing in at a mighty one-minute and showcasing a relentless punk-energy that even the Pistols will struggle to try and match with their impending return in 2002.
As if the above wasn't enough, possessive of the three tracks are the most unashamedly 'British' lyrics since anything produced by The Smiths, or - failing that - The Kinks. For once, as a consequence, this group's arrival feels far more natural and close-to-home than those acts merely sticking vague in lyrical subject-matter so as to appeal to as many of the masses out there as possible; The Libertines, instead, are story-tellers of times in their native-London, retracing past experiences with a humour and intelligence long lost amongst many of their contemporaries.
With their landmark created so far, The Libertines are well-functioning evidence that upbeat melodies and wholehearted musical-fortitude don't always compromise relevance in the alternative-scene. May their impact in 2002 send shivers of excitement down your spine.
Artists in this article: The Libertines
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment