The Libertines - 'Can't Stand Me Now' (Rough Trade)
5/5
By: Lauren Gallagher
February 2004, Brixton Academy. On the final night of The Libertines' packed three-night stand at the venue, 'Can't Stand Me Now' began as a gleeful rejoicing of new work from Britain's latest rock heroes, but when Pete Doherty marched offstage mid-song, it was clear that relations between the drug-riddled boy of bohemia and fellow frontman Carl Barat had reached a fevered pitch.
Considering The Libs' latest recording sessions required bodyguards to keep Carl and Pete from battering each other, it is ironic that 'Can't Stand Me' bears such sonic clarity. During such tumultuous times the messy and chaotic mood of 'Horrorshow' might be expected, but the band has instead chosen to tell us a tale brimming with the bittersweet beauty of lost romance.
The intro mimics an outro, creating a false sense of conclusion and security. The illusion dies when the guitars overlap rhythmic, staccato stutterings with chords that cascade like streams off cliffs, emoting a longing for a recapturing of The 'tines' youth, pre-rift. The lyrics seem a profession of recent troubles between the brotherly songwriters: 'Have we enough to keep it together/Or do we just keep on pretending/And hope our luck is never ending, no...' The push and pull of the lyrics, the bemoaning of misunderstanding, and the troubled anxiety of the guitar, makes it hard to read this as anything but an affecting grasp at what 'once was.'
Yet the yearning is not without hope. There is more than a sliver of optimism in 'Can't Stand Me', mustering a bit more faith with each beat. These are hard times for The Libs, and their fans, but with any luck, the band which brought a tidal wave of inspiration to the British music scene will be able to make a full recovery in the near future. After just producing perhaps their best work to date, it would be grievous should it all end now. Like many great artists, The Libs have triumphed over tragedy - at least musically - and still remain nothing less than exquisite for it.
Artists in this article: The Libertines
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