Artist: Peter Doherty
Album: Grace/Wastelands
Year: 2009
Grade: 4 pretzels
Pete Doherty has spent so much of the past five years in the embrace of drugs and/or Kate Moss that I often forget that he’s an actual musician. When he broke into the scene with the Libertines in 2002, it appeared that he was ready to replace Blur’s Damon Albarn as the “voice of young England.” The Libertines' songs, particularly everything from their first album, Up The Bracket, showed a remarkable affinity for classic English songwriting, ranging from the pastoral reminiscing of the Kinks to the urban punch-ups of the Who. Sadly, the Libertines collapsed into a haze of drug problems and drama, ending their career far too soon. Doherty went on to front Babyshambles, a terrifyingly ramshackle group that recorded two unimpressive albums.
Now, in 2009, he seems to be slowly getting his life on the right track. His on-again/off-again drug addictions continue, but he’s broken things off (for now) with Kate Moss, which can only be a good sign. And he’s got a new record to boot. Taking a stab at a solo career (under the name “Peter Doherty”), Grace/Wastelands is a departure from anything Doherty has done up until now. Abandoning the fuzzy rock of Libertines and Babyshambles, Doherty’s letting his songs speak for themselves, rising out of a simple accompaniment of acoustic guitar, assorted percussion and tasteful backing vocals. It’s a change, but a welcome one.
The biggest touchstone for this album is the songwriting of Ray Davies for the Kinks. “Last Of The English Roses”, one of the album’s finest songs, captures the exact type of nostalgia and bitterness the Kinks were famous for. Words like “dapper,” “trousers” and “cheeky” pop up all over this album, evoking a very specific, very British sensibility. The vague historical nod of “1939 Returning” is also in keeping with the general Kinks-ish feel of the album. Doherty doesn’t get too many points for originality, but even if he’s ripping off older bands, he’s doing it surprisingly well for a drug-addled English lout who rarely seems to know who he even is at any given time.
Musically, this is the most coherent Doherty has ever been. The album has a cohesive atmosphere and feel, with everything sounding like it was cut from the same cloth. The songs are kept short and sweet, never drifting into overlong jams or instrumental vamping. Even Doherty’s voice, which has always been prone to drunken slurs and warbling, seems a bit more focused than usual. When he does fall back to mumbling and sighing, as on the bar-room swagger of “Sweet By And By”, it fits the song perfectly.
By now, I think we can say with some certainty that Pete Doherty will not be the next great English songwriter (Arctic Monkey’s Alex Turner gets my vote for that title, by the way). However, an album like Grace/Wastelands proves that it’s far too soon to write Doherty off completely. In the face of his continuing personal problems, he’s somehow managed to organize himself enough to record a lovely little album, capturing a quick slice of English life. Jolly good.
Now, in 2009, he seems to be slowly getting his life on the right track. His on-again/off-again drug addictions continue, but he’s broken things off (for now) with Kate Moss, which can only be a good sign. And he’s got a new record to boot. Taking a stab at a solo career (under the name “Peter Doherty”), Grace/Wastelands is a departure from anything Doherty has done up until now. Abandoning the fuzzy rock of Libertines and Babyshambles, Doherty’s letting his songs speak for themselves, rising out of a simple accompaniment of acoustic guitar, assorted percussion and tasteful backing vocals. It’s a change, but a welcome one.
The biggest touchstone for this album is the songwriting of Ray Davies for the Kinks. “Last Of The English Roses”, one of the album’s finest songs, captures the exact type of nostalgia and bitterness the Kinks were famous for. Words like “dapper,” “trousers” and “cheeky” pop up all over this album, evoking a very specific, very British sensibility. The vague historical nod of “1939 Returning” is also in keeping with the general Kinks-ish feel of the album. Doherty doesn’t get too many points for originality, but even if he’s ripping off older bands, he’s doing it surprisingly well for a drug-addled English lout who rarely seems to know who he even is at any given time.
Musically, this is the most coherent Doherty has ever been. The album has a cohesive atmosphere and feel, with everything sounding like it was cut from the same cloth. The songs are kept short and sweet, never drifting into overlong jams or instrumental vamping. Even Doherty’s voice, which has always been prone to drunken slurs and warbling, seems a bit more focused than usual. When he does fall back to mumbling and sighing, as on the bar-room swagger of “Sweet By And By”, it fits the song perfectly.
By now, I think we can say with some certainty that Pete Doherty will not be the next great English songwriter (Arctic Monkey’s Alex Turner gets my vote for that title, by the way). However, an album like Grace/Wastelands proves that it’s far too soon to write Doherty off completely. In the face of his continuing personal problems, he’s somehow managed to organize himself enough to record a lovely little album, capturing a quick slice of English life. Jolly good.
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