Note: After the Libertines broke up in 2004, the band’s guitarist/singer/songwriter, Carl Barat, started Dirty Pretty Things with his former drummer, Gary Powell, and occasional fill-in vocalist (when regular vocalist Pete Doherty was in jail), Anthony Rossomando.
Sound: A slightly tighter and tidier version of their former band’s ragtag and drunken British punk. The witty, chic and seedy tunes hit immediately and quickly move on.
Playlist Partners: The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, The Kinks
Heavy Rotation track: “Gin & Milk“
Medium Rotation tracks: “Deadwood“; “Bang Bang You’re Dead“; “Wondering“
Recommended: Dirty Pretty Things are a lot of fun, but after awhile their sameness might wear on you. Plus, they lack some of the songwriting magic of the bands they resemble.
Grade: B