ALBUM REVIEW: All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade – The Libertines

The indie rock scene is one of the most vast there is and so to become icon of the scene is not an easy thing. However, THE LIBERTINES managed this back in the early 00s, and having been through a full band breakup and not released anything for the past nine years, they’re finally back with their brand new album All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade.

Run Run Run kicks off the album and as soon as it does it feels like the band never went away. It’s a glorious return with their signature unmistakable sound running throughout. It’s a chaotic track and talks about escaping the past which is something the band have probably tried to do but this is with a sense of maturity and maybe embracing the past is more the message here. Mustang follows with a more laid-back stream of consciousness feel. This feels more like old school LIBERTINES with a slightly sloppy feel on the guitar parts whilst the bass and the drums just about hold it all together. It’s fair to say the band did this by mistake in the early days but to actually replicate it on purpose is no easy feat.

Pete Doherty takes the vocals on Have A Friend and it feels almost nostalgic as they’ve been away so long. It’s full of exactly what makes THE LIBERTINES great, with fast verses and aggressive instrumentation shifting seamlessly into more reflective heartfelt choruses. A change of pace really occurs in Man With The Melody as this is more of a piano-led track and it feels like Doherty is really addressing some of his demons whilst Carl Barât seems to mirror this. It’s almost like a conversation but this isn’t Can’t Stand Me Now, as there’s no anger or aggression in it. The string section creates a dreamlike sound and it’s disorientating and hypnotic in its melody.

Night Of The Hunter is the band showing they can still inject that sense of Dickensian drama into their tracks. It’s always been something THE LIBERTINES have done well and is now a signature of theirs. It’s a good track as it runs almost like an 18th-century tragedy. Released as a single, Shiver is probably the most refined song on the album and one of the most refined songs the band have produced as it sees them switch their rocky and edgy sound for a more dramatic and theatrical one. Still unmistakably THE LIBERTINES, the track is more whimsical and almost sinister sounding in parts; it grows and swells as the track progresses, all leading to a fade out rather than a sudden stop almost as if to represent a fall from grace.

Be Young is more of a return to form with a truly chaotic and fun sound. It’s a little more punk with the instrumentation and Barât’s aggressive vocals and the reckless guitar parts creating a super cathartic good time. This all leads to Songs They Never Play On The Radio which is a slower track. It features limited instrumentation. It’s not trying to be fancy or complex. The vocals are taken by both Doherty and Barât as they always have been and should be. It’s emotional in subject matter but not in a depressing way. It feels like it encapsulates THE LIBERTINES perfectly as it’s more nostalgic than anything. It ends with chatter and the band messing around with the chorus from the studio and it’s a really great way to end the album portraying the band just having a good time after all their tumultuous history.

All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade is a great album. It doesn’t quite reach the greatness of Up The Bracket or the self-titled album but the band set a high bar with those so that’s fair. But it feels more mature as the band have been through a lot since those early albums and have solidified themselves as indie legends. This album feels like a view from the top of the scene; it’s nostalgic and beautiful in parts whilst still chaotic in others, mixing the old with the new.

Rating: 8/10

All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade is set for release on April 5th via Republic Records.

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