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By: Jan Bunny
Date: 28th Jun 06
Release: Album
To Cure: A quiet weekend
What:
Waterloo To Anywhere
Who:
Dirty Pretty Things
On:
Vertigo/Universal
Myspace:
here
Waterloo has long been used as a metaphor for a final reckoning, a settling of old scores. Though in the case of Carl Barat’s new band Dirty Pretty Things it’s more about laying the ghosts of the past to bed than getting even with them.
All savvy and insanely resilient clamour, the frenetic debut defiantly shrugs off the wet blanket of failed friendship and tabloid furore. Avoiding the wandering shambles that old flame Doherty was frustrated by, Waterloo To Anywhere is single minded in its attack.
Displaying an enduring love affair with The Clash’s reggae inspired, jangly, punkish swagger, Barat bleeds an urgent romanticism for the battered beauty of Britain, reminiscent of the time-honoured poet William Blake.
At a blisteringly short 33 minutes, it’s a sonic blast, a pure release of pent-up frustration and aggression. A gin fuelled lament, this watershed album is a fitting addition to the legacy of The Libertines.