Singles

Dirty Pretty Things - Bang Bang You're Dead

Gordon Anderson 24/04/2006

Rating: 2/5

Unless you've been under a rock for a few years you'll know the tale of the Libertines, so we'll let the backdrop gather dust and shine the spotlight on this first single from Carl and Gary's spanking new band. On first listen, it sounds like a more polished Libs minus the give-a-fuck looseness and some of the magic dust. And while that could be worse, the problem is that on second and third listens the song yields very little more, being merely 'alright', an almost foot stomping, not quite air punching rock song with unobtrusive strings and a dull, say-nothing chorus that feels like half the icing on a very small cake.

Something that never changes with the best songs is that they feel natural, alive, and years down the line you're still just the tiniest bit surprised by a cheeky chord change, a shout out of nowhere, a sudden change of time. By contrast this seems tied down by its own structure and, as you know what's going to happen next, it fails to hold the attention. From a man as talented as Carl Barat it's disappointing,
thankfully other, better tracks heard live hint that it may just be a poor choice of single.