Peter Doherty - Last Of The English Roses

He must mean business - not only has everyone’s favourite Jag collector been out of the tabloids for a while, but he’s gone all grown up and is now Peter Doherty. So does this indicate a change of musical direction? A new found lyrical maturity?

For starters, the soundtrack is different to anything Peter, The Libertines or Babyshambles have ever done. Listening to the first 30 seconds, you could be forgiven for thinking that you’ve stuck a Gorillaz CD on by mistake. The heavy, atmospheric drums and the lone harmonica underpin a meandering verse delivered in Doherty’s familiar drawl pitched somewhere between street poet and urban crooner. Lyrically it’s a welcome departure from the drugged up and desperate themes that have become all too predictable, but the melody still maintains a menacing and gloomy feel. What’s slightly at odds with the song is the chorus. It sticks out like a sore thumb and the repetitive chant of ‘She’s the last of the English ro-oh-ses’ is lazy to the point of being incredibly boring. A slow burner if ever there was, and one which will split people straight down the middle.