Damn, I hate to say it but this Babyshambles shit is worth the hype. Like most of you I’ve been burned by plenty of British imports promising to be the next big thing. Lead singer Pete Doherty has been running around with Kate Moss, doing lines of coke off six-pack abs –livin’ the rock & roll life. He’s been a central figure in a couple next big things including The Libertines and now Babyshambles. From what I could gather from the 5 songs here, Babyshambles have a sound that should punch its passport and catch on.
I picked up the Babyshambles EP The Blinding at Barnes & Noble, and immediately discovered a band I want to know more about. Call me curious enough to dig all the way back to The Libertines days as well.
On The Blinding EP Babyshambles sound like Sublime with a bloody lip Arctic Monkeys vocal. There’s even hints of Nirvana – not sure what it is and realize those are strong words but it’s true. There music here is equal parts reggae and street. Very cool vibe.
The Blinding EP is a joy to listen to, here’s a track-by-track breakdown:
“The Blinding” is pouty and British in the spirit of Arctic Monkeys. While more plodding there is a nice spiral guitar riff that pulls it through. When Doherty riffs “what would you do, has it run out of time for you” and screams “on with the show!” the music un-tucks its shirt and starts to feel comfortable. There’s something special happening on the entire disc. The music feels live, raw, and layered. Doherty’s presence adds recklessness to the music that is a perfect fit.
“Love You But You’re Green” brings even more of an island vibe. We get a nice chill steel drum pace to this one. The sound owes a lot to Sublime. But like most of the music on the record, “Love You, But You’re Green” is multi-faceted. When Doherty sings, “when she goes” he’s letting you know he can do the big anthem (Oasis) thing too (he can btw check “Fuck Forever” for your new favorite song), but maybe it bores him. A lot of the music on The Blinding EP is sort of slumped over like most of us at our company holiday parties. The Babyshambles sound is tweaked, it’s very drunken and blurry. What makes “Love You But You’re Green” is the layers. Throughout the entire 4:37 the band keeps adding little details, new interest, new instrumentation, and the song continues to build bit by bit. The result is pretty intoxicating. The sound is a rare combination – almost like wearing flip-flops on the tube.
The steel drum vibe continues on the more spirited and upbeat “I Wish.” I can picture Doherty running around on stage with the pockets of his dirty jeans turned inside out crooning “got no money in my pocket you see.” While the most fun song on the EP, it’s also the simplest. But it’s a nice light number with fun guitar and a nice little “oh oh oh oh oh” sing-a-long at the end.
“Beg, Steal or Borrow” starts with drums before bringing in the chime of big guitar. Those of you that have frequented this space know that chime (think Edge) guitar is the quickest way to my heart. Maybe it’s a Minnesota thing, but there’s just something very Carhartt hat about this style of guitar. It very quickly starts to sound like Lee’s Liquor Lounge in the winter. It’s my cozy. The guitars here remind of recent Razorlight singles.
“Sedative” gets moodier and dark, and I’m guessing Doherty is drawing from personal experience. The ebbs and flows are like dark waves on the beach and the end result on “Sedative” is another enjoyable track. The guitar gaps with Doherty asking; “Who is my hero” are awesome when combined with the tidal rhythm of the song. “Sedative” sounds like a person in detox sitting next to their bed shaking and scratching their skin. But the music is optimistic enough to make you think they’ll probably figure it out especially the end section where they add more strumming guitar and almost an internal monologue to the lyric.
Babyshambles did not disappoint. Listening to this five song EP only made me want to own the rest of what they’ve put out. Either Doherty is a true maestro or he has some great people around him. The texture to the record is fascinating. The biggest compliment I can give Babyshambles is the music doesn’t appear to repeat itself. Every song is like one long build, with new unexpected and exciting twists around each corner. The music reveals itself the more you listen to it. And it sounds pretty great the first time you listen as well. Of all the stuff I’ve reviewed I’d say the Babyshambles are closer to a hip-hop disc in terms of how complex and how much depth there is to the sound. Be sure to check them out.
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