I am fan of the Libertines and previously liked Babyshambles. With that being said maybe if Pete had spent less time smoking crack and hanging out with hookers, he might have had time to make a better album. While I can call this album an honest look into Pete Doherty’s mind, I could never call it good.

The record comes off as sloppy and disconnected. The overall band sounds is not as tight as found in Babyshambles previous album and even its EP (or the bands best singles “Kilamangiro” and Fuck Forever”). In fact songs like “You Really Got Me” and “You Said” have an amateurish quality that you might hear in a crappy opening band or in that band that the club only allows to play during the weekdays. Similarly, Shotter’s Nation has no real direction.  The album jumps from poor attempts to fit into Brit pop then makes a brief foray into rockabilly with a Stray Catsesque sound in “ There She Goes” , attempts to go punk then stumbles back and expires into Brit Pop.

Pete you need to pack it up and crawl back to the Libertines.

Grade: D

Reviewed by: Kristen Tojo