Carl Barat's reputation as the (slightly more) responsible
Libertine continues with
Waterloo to Anywhere, his first album with
Dirty Pretty Things, which also features former
Libs drummer Gary Powell and guitarist
Anthony Rossamundo, who filled in for
Pete Doherty on
the Libertines' last few tours. The album plays like a cleaner, slightly more straightforward version of the mod-punk
Barat contributed to his former band: tightly engineered blasts of sound like "Deadwood" and the limber, bouncy "Doctors & Dealers" get the album off to an impressive start, which should please
Libertines fans burned out on
Doherty's seemingly endless vicious cycle of arrests and addiction -- and, more importantly, on
Babyshambles' erratic performances on stage and in the studio. The snarling wit that
Barat brought to
the Libertines is also in full force on
Waterloo to Anywhere, particularly on the songs
Barat claims aren't about his ex-bandmate, but "Evil Carl," aka his own negative traits and demons from when the
Libertines were still around. They're definitely songs about leaving someone or something behind:
Barat insists that "the enemy is right inside my head" over a beat that snaps and bounces, and wants to "put all the rumors to bed" on
Waterloo to Anywhere's standout track, "Bang Bang You're Dead." But, though the album is almost nothing but stomping rockers and
Dirty Pretty Things' energy never flags, it feels a little too predictable. The second half of the album particularly suffers from samey songwriting (although the final track, "Last of the Small Town Playboys," is a notable exception), and it's all too tempting to replace
Waterloo to Anywhere's less-impressive tracks with the handful of coherent songs from
Babyshambles'
Down in Albion for a would-be
Libertines reunion.
Barat's music doesn't have the baggage associated with
Doherty's brooding, poetic aspirations, but it doesn't quite have the same impact, either. As their respective post-
Libertines albums show,
Barat is capable of being very good with
Dirty Pretty Things, and
Doherty is capable of occasional brilliance with
Babyshambles. But, for greatness (or at least the potential for it), they need each other. ~ Heather Phares