I Getta Long, Oh I Getta Long (Up The Bracket - The Libertines)

Member Name: Andy.mack

Product:	Up The Bracket - The Libertines
Date:	19/11/03 (142 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good debut, some quality tracks

Disadvantages: a little hit and miss,

The Libertines appeared from nowhere during 2002 and caputered the imagination of a lot of people with a retro style of rock music that sounded like it came from days gone by. Well even though after just one album it appears the band have already gone to pot with lead singer Pete Doherty appearing in court having broken into band mate Karl Barat's flat, to steal some cash to support an alleged drug habit. Well needless to say Pete is no longer in the band but this one album showed happier times for the band.

But having released this debut album back when they were all still mates, the sound of The Libertines was probably at the best it has been. Now with a replacement guitarist and Karl moving onto lead vocals to replace Pete they really don?t seem to have the main factor that made them stand out from all the other bands around these days. But no matter what the boys from London do now, this album will always be the one to remember them by.

The album opens with "Vertigo", a pretty fasts paced number. The drums and guitars come in almost straight away, with the drum really keeping the beat while the guitar brings the tune before Pete comes in with the vocals. The first thing that strikes you is the fast, frantic guitar followed instantly by Pete's vocals. Now although Pete's vocals aren't exactly brilliant they sound just right for the type of punk rock sound that The Libertines are becoming known for. Overall a decent start to the debut album.

The next track, "Death On The Stairs", is another in the same mould. It starts with a slower guitar intro, which is just a couple of chords before it starts to vary a little, and is then joined by the drums and finally the vocals come in. Now as I mentioned Pete doesn't have an amazing voice but it's little quirks in his voice that make the tracks. The pace of this track is pretty up beat and his voice actually fits in well with the guitars, but it's the chorus where he really stands out. The drums k eep the beat moving along well and Karl's backing vocals are fairly good as well.

We then move onto "Horror Show". Which starts with a drum count in mixed with short bursts on the guitar. Then the sound suddenly changes and the vocals come in again sounding fairly similar to the other tracks. The drums keep the pace going at an up tempo but it's again the vocals that really stand out on a track that's almost over as quickly as it starts. It does have a slower section in the middle but overall it's the tracks like this one that make The Libertines into the band they are/were.

The next track "Time For Heroes" is probably one of my favourite tracks on the album. It's a little bit slower than the previous tracks but is lead along perfectly by the guitars, while the drums really take a back role, but an important one. Pete's vocals are probably at their best during tracks like this, which really shows more as you get more into the album. Now maybe The Libertines are a bit late jumping on the punk bandwagon, but really they could be the start of a revival. This track as I mentioned is slower but still has that edge, that shows the album is fairly raw.

Then it's onto another of my favourite tracks and in fact probably my favourite taken from this album, "Boys In The Band". This starts with the guitar leading it in, with the bass joining in pretty quickly and then the drums really rounding off a well-formed intro. The vocals come in pretty soon after and again it's almost like a different style and pace than the other tracks, in fact this one is much mellower than anything else. The chorus is low key and probably making this the easiest track by the band to sing along to.

The half way mark is reached with the arrival of "Radio America", a much slower start. It opens with a drumbeat and some very odd out of tune sounding guitars and then Pete comes in with the vocals for one of the weakest tracks on the album. Maybe it's something of an an ticlimax going from as upbeat as the album has been to something this slow and mellow, but to be honest everything sounds out of tune, including Pete's vocals which actually sound dreadful.

Track 7 is the albums title track, "Up The Bracket". This is another of my favourites and one of the most instantly recognizable tracks on the album. It opens with Pete basically screaming before the drums and guitars start up almost instantly. The vocals come in shortly afterwards and the pace of the album has really been picked up again. This is a highlight of any Libertines gig as it shows Pete's vocals at their best and also the unpredictable moments during his singing.

The next track is also a brilliant song, "Tell The King". Is slower but almost sounds like something the Jam would have done back in the day. The guitar really carries it well, while the drums provide an excellent backing for the vocals, which are very chilled and easy to listen to. The guitar really proves to be the highlight of the track, keeping the pace slow and the music actually sounding totally different to anything else on the album. This time the mellower track really has worked out as it is in tune and actually sounds really good.

Back to the more upbeat side of the album and to be honest "The Boy Looked At Johnny", it's a track that starts off badly but you really have to get past that first little bit. The vocals from the start are pretty naff to be honest but when you actually get into the song it does sound a lot better with the chorus, lead well by the guitar sounding superb. There are parts of the song where you kind of wish the vocals were a little different but ultimately it makes the chorus sound so much better.

"Begging" comes next and is another slower starting track with just a drumbeat to start it off before the guitars come in and then after about half a minute it actually gets going. The song really isn't too strong musically, which lets it down a b
it but Pete's vocals actually sound at the best they have on the whole album so far. The drums and guitars could do with maybe being a little louder but the part they play on the song is vital, even though you can't hear them that well.

With only two tracks to go we come to "The Good old Days", which adopts another style totally again and to be honest the start sounds almost Happy Monday like. But that quickly starts as the vocals and guitar come in and take it to a pretty dark level, which depending on your mood can either be ideal, or totally inappropriate. The guitar really leads the tracks while the darker sound of the vocals is over emphasised by the drums but as I say if your not in a good mood this track is perfect to stick on and listen to.

The last track is another of the albums highlights, "I Get Along". It?s a lot more upbeat than the last one and again is a little bit like the intro to a Jam track before it changes completely. The guitars really take the track off at a fast pace after a slower intro but again it's Pete's vocals that actually star on this track, although I?m sure a lot of people wont agree. The drums sound fantastic on this one during the more relaxed chilled out sections and the faster more upbeat parts. Again the unpredictable nature of Pete is shown during this track adding lyrics, which you can imagine when the song was written weren't actually there.

So there we have it that is The Libertines debut album, Up The Bracket, coming in at just over half an hour long. Some of the tracks are a bit hit or miss but apart from recent single "Don't Look Back Into The Sun" Pete probably won't ever sing with the Libertines again, which makes this a must have album. The new release of it features an extra track and a bonus DVD and can be bought from www.CD-wow.com for the usual £8.99.

Update Since Op Was Written
************************

Pete Doherty has been released from prison and has played a couple of gig
s with the band, so the possibility of them getting back together is there.

Summary: A decent album from one of Britains hottest bands of the moment