A phenomenal and explosive debut from the Dirty boys.
Few people have been spared the tales of Pete Doherty's antics and his journey from Libertine to tabloid savaged shambles, yet former musical partner Carl Barat has always been a more elusive character.
While Pete was getting arrested and cavorting with supermodels, Carl was busy forming his new band, Dirty Pretty Things. Named after the cult film staring Audrey Tautou, Carl is joined by fellow expatriate Gary Powell on drums, The Cooper Temple Clause's Didz Hammond on bass and occasional Libertines guitarist Anthony Rossomando. This makes for a promising line up, and as the frenzied guitar of opening track 'Deadwood' pulsates through the speakers, it reaches far beyond promising, sounding as if the fragments of these Libertines and their new foot soldiers have combined to form a phenomenal force.
With the rawness of The Libertines still apparent but tauter and more controlled, Dirty Pretty Thing's 'Waterloo To Anywhere' is a debut of mammoth proportions. Weighing in at a lean 36 minutes and 28 seconds, its minutes are a barrage of fury, longing and ultimately, a fierce desire to destroy the past in order to carve a future.
From the anger of lines such as "Oh you turned round and scratched out my heart" on debut single 'Bang Bang You're Dead', to the howling refrain "no-one gives a fuck about the values I would die for" on 'Gin and Milk', this album really runs the emotional gauntlet, which is fitting given the tumultuous past of lead singer Barat.
As one of the closing lines on the swooning 'B.U.R.M.A'(A World War II acronym used on love letters and thought to be short for "be upstairs ready my angel" or "Be undressed and ready my angel",) states "give yourself a clap now", and this album deserves not just a clap but a standing ovation. The good ship Albion may be far from on course, but it is certainly still afloat.