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Product Description
Review
The good news first: the second offering from this band since Messrs Barat and Doherty parted company and began their quest to find the worst band names in the world is a crisp, polished collection of tuneful japery and pithy urban commentary. So what makes this vaguely disappointing overall?
The album is brim with dazzling time signature jiggery pokery, like the fairground whooze of opener, Buzzards And Crows, as well as the semi-literary allusions to old Albion on Tired Of England; though Barat's vision has on very London-centric goggles, borrowing from Samuel Johnson's old adage. His wordiness is witty and spry, but sometimes one can't help feeling that he's overcompensating for a certain missing lyricist. Not only that, but the spray of words on tracks like Truth Begins smacks too much of Alex Turner's more verbose moments. You can't help but be disappointed by a band who seem to be eclipsed by their peers. Best Face tries to weld a Battles/Vampire Weekend post/math rock to Barat's Clash-like punk rush, but while it's impressively played it falls short of a seamless whole.
On this note it's interesting to note how this album exhibits a studied competence that betrays how far they've come as a unit. Far from shambolic (or stymied by alcohol-fuelled bone breakages), at the heart of Romance At Short Notice is a cheerily efficient pop heart. Like their debut, every track sports ragged, squally tops and tails, but when things get going the chaos is revealed as being actually very together. Only on Chinese Dogs and the stubbornly dissonant Faultlines does it seem that the music matches the usual tales of dissolution and disillusion. Carl's ragged roar on Hippy's Son is also suitably bile-spewing.
Yet, a little too often the jauntiness puts you in mind of those jolly fillers that Oasis used to stick on their albums to make up the numbers. Plastic Hearts 'La-la-la's will sound great at that sweaty gig, but grate in studio-bound form. Maybe Carl and P***'s chapter in Britpop has truly passed. But it would be a shame to see a band as lithe and keen as DPT sound here wilt into obscurity. Romance At Short Notice shows them just beginning to really find a voice. --Jerome Blakeney
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I have the two Libertines albums and Waterloo to Anywhere and, having heard DPT two or three times performing tracks (Plastik Hearts, Come Closer and Tired of England) from this album prior to its release, I was looking forward to buying it. However, I almost didn't bother because of the many mediochre reviews I read in the music press. But I did buy it and, having listened several times to it, I really like it and have to disagree with the critics. I think it really depends on whether you like the ballads like 'Truth Begins'and 'The North' which really show which of the Libertines has the best voice. The more punchy tracks are also good although they perhaps do not have the 'edge' of the Libertines tracks.
I think that the real problem is that people love to slag off Pete Doherty on account of his drug issues, but somehow, Carl Barat is not really forgiven for NOT being Pete Doherty and too many comparisons are made by many. The fact is, he writes good lyrics, good tunes and has a strong voice and great stage presence and energy. Having had the pleasure of meeting him on a wet evening at a provincial gig recently when he happily chatted to the fans waiting outside in the rain and posed for endless photos ; he has no inflated ego issues either. Instead of grabbing the headlines through his lifestyle like Pete, he is quietly getting on with it and I wish him luck. He is doing his own thing, he is not Pete Doherty or The Libs so please stop comparing him and give him credit for what he does!
I think that the real problem is that people love to slag off Pete Doherty on account of his drug issues, but somehow, Carl Barat is not really forgiven for NOT being Pete Doherty and too many comparisons are made by many. The fact is, he writes good lyrics, good tunes and has a strong voice and great stage presence and energy. Having had the pleasure of meeting him on a wet evening at a provincial gig recently when he happily chatted to the fans waiting outside in the rain and posed for endless photos ; he has no inflated ego issues either. Instead of grabbing the headlines through his lifestyle like Pete, he is quietly getting on with it and I wish him luck. He is doing his own thing, he is not Pete Doherty or The Libs so please stop comparing him and give him credit for what he does!
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Wow! My hopes were high but this album exceeded them. Romance at Short Notice contains tracks with the same infectious, punchy, punk influenced flavour to be found on DPTs' debut album, but also introduces us to more complex medlodies and harmonies that we have not heard before from the band. There are many highlights but the stand out track for me is Buzzards and Crows, a 3 minute whirling roller coaster of a song reminiscent of Madness at their best. This album should herald the arrival of DPT's into the nation's conciousness, but it won't, because for some mystifying reason they seem to be judged too "indie?" for mainstream radio. That's a shame, but at least you'll never hear them in the fruit and veg aisle in Asda, and that's no bad thing!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Dirty Pretty Things were formed from the rubble of the Libertines back in 2004. Taking three parts of the Libertines set up and adding a Bassist from the Cooper Temple Clause, the Dirty Pretty Things hit the ground running with the hugely enjoyable "Waterloo to Anywhere" in 2006. A hark back to the Mod Punk noise that the Libertines excelled at with aggressive and fiery songs and lyrics to match. It was the same scrappy sound as before and it was a glowing tribute to the input Barat and co had into the previous success.
Romance at Short Notice is an obvious progression in style and delivery. The album loses some of the raw appeal of the previous attempt with a slicker studio production and I think this is the main problem. There are still good tracks on the album but the whole thing feels slightly disjointed with more ideas floating round and a mismatch of styles conflicting. The song writing came from other members of the band this time and I don't think this was the wisest thing , as part of the Libertine-esque raucousness has disappeared with it.
The singles are still good, "Tired Of England" is a commentary on the state of of the country and does a good job to paint pictures with words in the same style as the Jam and the Smiths managed 20 years previous. "Kicks or Consumption" is also another highlight, I prefer their uptempo moments and between the album fodder there are gems.
If the band get past this album and return to true form and some point in the future release a best of, I would imagine this album is largely forgotten apart from the one or two singles released from it.
*** Like: Libertines, The Jam, The Kinks, Razorlight ***
Romance at Short Notice is an obvious progression in style and delivery. The album loses some of the raw appeal of the previous attempt with a slicker studio production and I think this is the main problem. There are still good tracks on the album but the whole thing feels slightly disjointed with more ideas floating round and a mismatch of styles conflicting. The song writing came from other members of the band this time and I don't think this was the wisest thing , as part of the Libertine-esque raucousness has disappeared with it.
The singles are still good, "Tired Of England" is a commentary on the state of of the country and does a good job to paint pictures with words in the same style as the Jam and the Smiths managed 20 years previous. "Kicks or Consumption" is also another highlight, I prefer their uptempo moments and between the album fodder there are gems.
If the band get past this album and return to true form and some point in the future release a best of, I would imagine this album is largely forgotten apart from the one or two singles released from it.
*** Like: Libertines, The Jam, The Kinks, Razorlight ***
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
May not be the Liberteens, but still good.
I loved the liberteens and Pete Dorety is a ledgand - an incredible song wirter/lyricist so there is something lacking from Dirty Pretty Things when you compare it to how it used... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Katie
Great! The Dirty Pretty Things have grown up.
This album is great and definately worth the wait with the most outstanding songs being: Hippy's Son, Plastic Hearts, Tired of England, Faultlines and Best Face.... Read more
Published on 21 July 2008 by Mr. Benjamin M. Farmer
Brilliant...
I dont normally write reviews, but sometimes a band comes along that remains largely under-rated and dont get the praise they deserve - DPT are one of those bands. Read more
Published on 13 July 2008 by N. Robinson
Second album syndrome?
I liked Waterloo to Anywhere (well the first half of it anyway!) and where that had strong uptempo songs that grabbed you on the first listen; this album - for the most part - just... Read more
Published on 7 July 2008 by J. Newcombe
Brilliant second album...
Whilst taking a turn from waterloo to anywhere, this album doen't lack what made DPT so great in the first place: catchy melodies and briliant lyrics (yes, i do refuse to review... Read more
Published on 30 Jun 2008 by R. Hulatt
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