Words like 'consistency' and 'professionalism' are, frankly, not terms usually bandied about in sentences related to Peter Doherty. Indeed, over the past five years, the missed gigs and drug-addled shambolic performances have become so synonymous with him that many believe indie rock's most notorious character would be late for his seemingly inevitable funeral.
So it's something of a (pleasant) surprise to report that BABYSHAMBLES' sophomore effort, 'Shotter's Nation' is a well-rounded, complete record with the songs sounding like they're (shock horror) actually finished and performed ably by a well-drilled indie guitar band with verve and panache to spare. Actually, the most startling thing of all is that their famous wastrel of a frontman really SINGS rather than slurs his way precariously through these 12 generally mighty decent songs. Bloody hell, that's a turn up for the books, eh?
Well yes, it is, although much of the credit for this victory against the run of play must surely be laid at the door of producer Stephen Street. Renowned for his strict, 9-5 methods with the likes of Morrissey and Blur, with 'Shotter's Nation' he proves in no uncertain terms why he's regarded as a paragon of production efficiency. The sound is big, brash and confident with nods to both classic mid-60s and mid-90s Brit(ish) pop and makes it painfully clear just how much Doherty got away with when under the auspices of the much more indulgent Mick Jones.
Let's take it from the top then. Inevitably, the album's title refers to drugs ("Shotter" is a slang term for drug dealers) and the artwork is based upon Henry Wallis's Victorian painting 'The Death of Thomas Chatterton'. Much has already been made of the fact that Doherty himself surely identifies with this narcissistic poet/forger who died from his own hand at the age of 17 and certainly lyrically Pete's paranoia is still rife. During the opening 'Carry On Up The Morning', he laments "you used to be into me, now you've got it in for me", while distrust/personal disgust and often bitter references to Doherty's high-profile ex, Kate Moss (who, bizarrely, has several co-writing credits) pepper a number of the songs.
All of which would be horribly self-indulgent, were the music itself not so stirring, for - at least in terms of performance - 'Shotter's Nation' has plenty going for it. For starters, replacing original guitarist Patrick Walden with new six-string slinger Mik Whitnall appears to have been a sound move. Overall, Whitnall's melody-conscious, Mod-pop guitar sound (sometimes meshing with Doherty's own guitar) is a lot more sympathetic to the Babyshambles sound than his volatile, experimental predecessor Pat Walden and - despite the oddball initial introductory scree - this helps shape the opening 'Carry On Up The Morning' into one of the best anthemic affairs this year.
The album's introductory salvo also includes the savagely melodic recent single 'Delivery' and the excellent, foppish 'You Talk'. The former is candidly open where Doherty's personal problems are concerned ("cast adrift off the shores of Shotter's nation/ I had a lick it caved my skull in like a brick") and drives along on whipping, Kinksian guitars while 'You Talk' has more than a touch of prime mid-90s Britpop about it and could well follow 'Delivery' up the Khyber and into the charts, such as they are these days. Ominously, though, it's impossible to ignore the kiss off line: "no, I never said it was clever/ I just like getting leathered." Hmm, you don't say Pete.
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Further contenders follow in the shape of the daffily romantic 'French Dog Blues' and 'Deft Left Hand', both of which feature strong and spirited band performances and remind us that Messrs. McConnell, Ficek and Whitnall remain considerably more than programmed satellites orbiting their creative sun of a frontman. Elsewhere, the wigged-out 'Crumb Begging Baghead' wears its' Brit-psyche purple heart very much on its' Parka sleeve (Doherty even gives it his best Steve Marriott yell here), while the autumnal canter of 'UnBiloTitled' finds our hero lashing out at the ghoulish entourage surrounding him when he sings "anyone would think you own me, you're ripping me off." One can only hope this is from the heart if he intends to remain clean for the duration, though.
OK, there are still some moments when he reverts to over-familiarity. 'Side Of The Road', for example, could easily have made it to the self-titled second Libertines album (well, except Doherty's vocal sounds much more together) but is a relatively forgettable thrasher, while 'Baddie's Boogie' has a synapse-shagging circular guitar refrain, but is all rather too familiar and falls back too heavily on Pete's bohemian, Dickensian charisma for its' own good.
Much better, though, are the times when the 'Shambles sound like they're really upping the sonic ante. The enigmatic 'Unstookie Titled', for example, revels in an understated band performance and cleverly reprises the "one and the same"refrain from 'Fuck Forever' along the way, while the jazzy 'There She Goes' is a likeably cheeky half-brother of The Cure's 'Love Cats' and - perhaps most intriguingly - the sultrily atmospheric closer 'Lost Art Of Murder' features not only some typically descriptive guitar from no less than Bert Jansch, but also a philosophical Doherty musing "get up off your back, stop smoking that/ if you change your life, do you think they'll change their minds?" To which I can only say, yes, most of us still DO think you have it in you Pete if you can finally divorce yourself from the trappings. As ever, though, only you and you alone can work that out for yourself.
'Shotter's Nation', then, is something of a revelation. Although it's true there's nothing as levitatingly magnificent as 'Albion' here, the rough-arsed, drugged-out underachievement of parts of their first album has been largely eradicated and the results are extremely heartening. I seem to be in something of a minority at W&H where Peter Doherty is concerned, but - despite everything - I still believe we're richer for his continuing presence on the scene. Wouldn't it be great if this album really is the sound of him turning a corner for the better?
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