The Libertines’ latest album “Anthems for Doomed Youth” should only be listened to once to hear the few good songs and put on a shelf and forgotten.
“Anthems for Doomed Youth” is a valiant attempt at making an angsty rock album. The issue is the band members are either approaching 40 years old or are well into their 40s and cannot be considered angsty, rebellious teenagers anymore.
In terms of music, almost all of the 12 songs, or 16 if you listen to the deluxe version sound the same, or 16 songs if you listen to the deluxe version, making the album feel like 45 minutes of fluff music that never stands out as anything worth listening to. There are a few exceptions like the title track “Anthem for Doomed Youth” or “Fame and Fortune.” Even then, those songs are only good for a listen or two before they fade into the rest of the forgettable album.
Lyrically, the album sounds like it was written by an angry teenager locked away in his room, writing his or her grievances, assuming it would make for good music. Much like the teenager, The Libertines should have stayed broken up and left their former catalogue of perfectly listenable music to speak for itself.
The first single released, “Gunga Din,” is another song about wanting to escape the day to day struggle. It is about hating to look in the mirror and wallowing in self pity. The lyrics are not creative, and the song comes off as whiny and makes the audience hate the singer for complaining about everything.
Another problem with the album is that the music sounds generic. Each song sounds like it has been made a thousand times before. Even if you are listening to the album for the first time, the music sounds stale and old.
For example, the song “You’re My Waterloo” is another breakup song in a sea of breakup songs made these days. The song lacks any distinct lyrics or personal experience to set the song apart from any other song.
The issue with “Anthems for Doomed Youth” is that it seems to be an attempt at cashing in on a reunion of The Libertines. Instead of getting together to make an album worth listening to, the band counted on dedicated fans to buy the album regardless of content.
What the fans are left with is a generic, angsty, forgettable album that should not have seen the light of day. The Libertines should have focused on reunion tours instead of producing an album that will be regarded as a blemish on their otherwise respectable career.