Brendan N

One of the frustrating things about reading Libertine's reviews by professional publications or outlets is that they all seem to compare the band’s most recent two albums to their first two albums. These reviewers seem to expect the band to revert to their original form and the sound people may want versus expect. Such comparisons over a band’s 20+ year career seem nonsensical, as bands continuously grow and change over that time span. This is particularly true of “punk” bands, whose youthful energy and nihilistic attitudes are bound to change as the band members' views on life evolve and their musical ambitions expand. This is certainly true of All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade. Therefore, if you like the first two albums by The Libertines, it does not guarantee you’ll like Esplanade (or Anthems for Doomed Youth). Yet regardless of your tastes, this most recent album is well worth a listen as it is an excellent one. Because of the vastly varying sounds on Esplanade, it can’t quite pull off a true top to bottom, first to last song, perfect vinyl listening experience. With songs and styles on this album varying so widely, it’d be tough to pull off a truly great album. Perhaps arranging the songs in a different order would help. I don’t know. Maybe the most obvious stylistic distinction on the album is the difference in the songs by Barat versus those by Doherty and even Hassall. Whereas Barat’s songs are rather straightforward and catchy Brit-punk, similar to his work (with fellow Libertines Gary Powell) in Dirty Pretty Things, the songs by Doherty have a softer and more eclectic sound, like his solo work, or more specifically, his recent album with Frederic Lo. Yet despite the somewhat scattershot styles of the songs, make no doubt about it: every song on this album is a worthwhile one with its own beautiful, catchy, eerie, or intriguing melodies. There is no filler on this album, and while the eclectic nature of the album might be a slight turnoff for anyone looking for a more structured listening experience, the different styles are a strength to folks looking for a stylistically diverse and exploratory sound. This album will not hit you straight away like the first two Libertine's albums (so much for not making comparisons). It will take a few listens before you fully appreciate it. But once you do, you'll appreciate the fact that It's a damn good album that has some real magic woven in throughout.