10-Song Introductions: The Libertines

Getting into a band, especially an established one, is no easy task. There's often a daunting amount of material to sift through, along with the possibility of being called a bandwagon jumper. With this new feature, I'll try to introduce you to the best aspects of a band, with the hope that you'll hear something you like.

This week's artist: The Libertines

1. "Up The Bracket" ("Up the Bracket" LP)
From the bohemian absurdity of the video, to the slightly awkward pop sensibility of the song (something that many have tried, and failed, to duplicate), this was my proper introduction to the Libs. It's a perfect representation of the band's manic creative energy around the release of their debut album.

2. "Time for Heroes" ("Up the Bracket" LP)
Featuring the finest use of triplets in a long while, this was when many people stood up and took notice. For good reason, too. Match a touch of doomed romanticism ("We'll die in the class we were born--that's a class of our own my love") with the grittiness of The Clash, and you have in less than three minutes what many bands spend a lifetime trying to capture.

3. "The Delaney" ("Up the Bracket" Single)
At first blush, this is a simple pop-punk song. But further investigation reveals guitar work with echoes of Marr, and lyrics with echoes of Reed. Easily the most infectious song The Libertines ever created.

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]

4. "Don't Look Back Into The Sun" (Babyshambles Sessions)
Although people are probably most familiar with the studio version, the original demos of the song from the Babyshambles Sessions are the real treat. Sounding like a track that was left off of the C86 mixtape, this is a chance for Pete to show-off his indie-pop bonafides.

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]

5. "Can't Stand Me Now" ("The Libertines" LP)
Another perfect example of why The Libertines' second record should have been the best pure rock record since "Definitely Maybe". Pete had no business writing a bridge so incredible, or lyrics so perfectly poignant: "Cornered, the boy kicked out at the world--the world kicked back, a lot fucking harder."

6. "What Katie Did" ("Babyshambles" B-Side)
There are many versions of this song floating around. The worst being, ironically, the one that appeared on "The Libertines" LP. This song appeared on the original Babyshambles sessions and immediately stood out because of its unabashed pop stylings: "shoop, shoop, shoop de-lang-a-lang".

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]

7. "What a Waster" (UK: Single, USA: "Up the Bracket" LP)
The much talked about debut single, this was produced by former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler. Thus, the sound is more intricate guitar-wise, yet lacks some of the punch of the "Up the Bracket" material. Pete makes up for it with an absolutely brilliant vocal which both revives archaic cockney slang and references everything from the Book of Revelations to Ulysses. Truly, only in a Libertines song.

8. "Ha Ha Wall" ("The Libertines" LP)
This is one of Pete's strongest compositions, an early favorite despite not receiving the proper studio treatment until "The Libertines". It turns up on the Babyshambles Sessions, the Sailor Sessions, and the French Sessions. The Smiths influence reveals itself again, paired with a striking lyric: "I've been thieving; I stole the light from the dawn."

9. "The Man Who Would Be King" (Babyshambles Sessions)
This demo of a song that would later appear on "The Libertines" demonstrated a new level of subtlety and complexity, qualities that would mysteriously vanish from the proper studio recording. The song also set impossibly high expectations for the second record, expectations that would be dashed by rushed performances and little-to-no production.

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]

10. "The Good Old Days" ("Up the Bracket" LP)
This song neatly summed up the Libertines manifesto: "There were no good old days--these are the good old days". A song about triumphing over drug abuse and other calamities, it contains that distinctly Libertines mix of despair and hope.