The Libertines’ hotly anticipated fourth studio album, All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade, is out now through Casablanca/Republic Records. The release marks the band’s first new album in nine years.
The Libertines released a fabulous new single (quite possibly the most Libertines single ever!) on March 6. Entitled “Oh Sh*t,” it is an earworm anthem for these economically challenging times. Written by Carl Barat and Peter Doherty, “Oh Sh*t” is the fourth single to be lifted from All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade, following the release of “Run, Run, Run” “Night Of The Hunter” and “Shiver.”
On All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade, the quartet of unlikely lads have gathered from their new-found homes in France, Denmark, Margate and London to solder a strongest-ever internal bond, and scale new creative heights resulting in the best music of their extraordinary career so far.
Featuring eleven new sparkling Libertines songs with songwriting credits shared among the four band members, the album was produced by Grammy-nominated producer Dimitri Tikovoï (The Horrors/Charli XCX/Becky Hill) and recorded at The Albion Rooms in Margate. Recorded in just four weeks during February and March 2023 and finished over seven days at La Ferme de Gestein Studios in Normandy, with additional production and mixed by Dan Grech-Marguerat (Lana Del Rey/Liam Gallagher/Paul McCartney).
The story of the making of All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade goes like this – in September ’22 Libs glimmer twins Doherty and Barât decamped to Geejam in Port Antonio, Jamaica. Away from any distraction the chemistry between the infamous songwriting partnership began to bubble in earnest.
Fast forward to February ’23 and Peter and Carl regrouped with rock solid knaves to the rhythm, John and Gary, at The Albion Rooms, and, says Doherty, “we really came together as a band. It was a moment of rare peace and unity, with all the members contributing.”
For Carl, the whole Libertines journey has been leading to this moment. “Our first record was born out of panic, and disbelief that we were actually allowed to be in a studio; the second was born of total strife and misery; the third was born of complexity; this one feels like we were all actually in the same place, at the same speed, and we really connected.”
Peter proclaims: “We’re over the moon, and the ball is in the back of the net… and I’m chuffed for the lads!” He adds, more seriously, “I feel like we’ve completed a cycle of some kind as a band, and finally now we can add these songs to the set list, because we’ve got some bangers in there. Now we’ve opened the hotel and used the studio ourselves and it’s all worked out – more Libertines records? I should hope so!”
The album – named All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade as a nod to their hotel’s street address and their enduring love of Erich Maria Remarque’s landmark anti-war novel – is an unequivocal triumph. It is now available on CD, deluxe CD, 12” vinyl in limited edition colored variants, deluxe double vinyl cassette and digital download.
Buy or stream All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade.
