Album Review: Babyshambles

BABYSHAMBLES_-_Sequel_To_The_Prequel

Babyshambles -‘Sequel To The Prequel.’ (Parlophone)

A few weeks ago, the first single from Babyshambles’ first album in six years ‘Nothing Comes To Nothing’ started doing the rounds. And the thought was: this is pretty damn good.

Unless you’ve been under a stone for the last decade or so, you’ll be aware of Pete Doherty. And the chances are that whether or not you’ve heard a note of his music (solo, as a member of The Libertines or Babyshambles or a collaboration), you’re aware of him as a character. Much like Courtney Love or Madonna or (well, the list could go on, couldn’t it) the music that made him famous has often got left behind.

And listening to Sequel To The Prequel, you feel that here again is a reason -well, a number of reasons, actually, why his musical career has lasted as long as it has. Because he is actually a great songwriter. But not only that, it’s an album made as a band, which is why it’s out as Babyshambles, rather than his own name. The aforementioned ‘Nothing’ is pretty damn good, as is ‘Maybelline’ and for my money, the dark closing track ‘Minefield’ is the finest thing here.

To hell with whatever you have read, forget the tabloids and enjoy the music.

****

Sequel To The Prequel is out on September 2 on Parlophone.

The return of Babyshambles…and Mr. Pete Doherty

For a little while maybe I did fall for my own mythology' ? Doherty

There are certain artists whose lives end up overshadowing their work, to the extent that people forget about what made them famous in the first place.

And let’s be honest, Pete Doherty’s life over the last decade or more has been more than just a little a bit like that. Yet there’s no doubt that songs like ‘What A Waster’ ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’ ‘Killamangiro’ ‘Fuck Forever’ and perhaps my favourite ‘Don’t Look Back Into The Sun’ are awesome tunes.

Babyshambles will release their third album and first for six years Sequel To The Prequel on September 2. This is the first single from it ‘Nothing Comes To Nothing.’ It’s rather good…