In retrospective, The Libertines have managed to leave a mark in British indie rock with only two albums. Carl was always considered as the normal one in the group. After the break of The Libertines, Carl have tried so hard but it nothing was going his way. Dirty Pretty Things was so-so and his last solo album was nothing special. Everything was mediocre, like it didn’t represent the guy who joined Pete Doherty in writing so many indie rock classics.
In the last couple of years, The Libertines have reunited a couple of times and we hear stories about the new album. All of this was probably inspiring to Carl because his last record sounds like he had finally found his muse. Thank God, cause Barat is a good guy who knows how to make music, he just needed some time (ten years) to get back in the zone.
With Joby J Ford from The Bronx as a produces, Jarrod Alexander from My Chemical Romance and Ray Suen from Childish Gambino’s band, it was impossible not to have a decent album. Let It Reign balances between slower tunes similar to Doherty’s work and true punk anthems influenced by The Ramonese. One of those is The Gears, punk touchdown. Completely opposite is title track where Carl is showing us a different side of himself. Opening track Glory Days reminds me of The Clash and he bought the mature audience with it. Victory Gin sounds like it was taken from the second album of The Libertines while Summer In The Tranches has a ska rhythm.
Beginning To See is highly influenced by Ocean Colour Scene and War Of The Roses kicks ass just as Doherty kicked ass in Babyshambles.
Many consider Let It Reign as Barat’s best work since The Libertines. I completely agree. Lyrics are good and melodies are radiophonic. It took him a decade to get there so let’s give him a round of applause and put his album on repeat.
