The Fantasy Life Of Poetry & Crime

Album review

"Poetry is a narcotic that develops the mind. It inspires imagination, making it explode. It’s a kind of escape, a way to get over the fences and barbed wire ahead of you,” explains Peter Doherty. Settled in Normandy with a 24/7 view over the cliffs of Etretat (though he prefers the greeny greys of the morning), the ex-Libertines member has been able to draw upon new inspiration, just like Monet, Courbet, Delacroix, Hugo, Offenbach and so many others before him. This cursed poet has seemingly gotten back on track, but who said he was lost in the first place? A child of the 80s, he swapped the flamboyant punk of The Libertines and Babyshambles for the discreet charm of his solo albums, Grace/Wasteland in 2009 and Hamburg Demonstrations in 2016. He then moved on to create a sweetened, less memorable rock LP alongside the Puta Madres in 2019. Three years later, he was inspired by the melodies written by Frédéric Lo (who’s worked with the likes of Alain Chamfort, Alex Beaupain and more). Lo first came to ask if Doherty would be interested in covering Inutile et hors d'usage, a song which appeared on the 2004 album Crèvecoeur, which Lo composed and produced for Daniel Darc, to whom he wanted to dedicate an album.

Struck by the power of the song, Doherty asked for more compositions. “He played a melody and it hit a chord with me right away. I thought: this song needs lyrics, and I should write them.” The more the Frenchman played, the more the Englishman wrote. “The words just kept coming. All these incredible ideas kept flowing. I think we finished the album in two or three weeks.” The Fantasy Life of Poetry & Crime, credited with the names of both artists (as was Doherty’s wish), brings together 12 deep, elegant ballads on piano and guitar, joined by the occasional violin. This poignant folk-rock is sometimes hushed (The Ballad Of), sometimes turbulent (You Can’t Keep It From Me Forever, Rock & Roll, Alchemy). It maintains the unsteady, raw beauty of his first solo album, and every song is in search of purity. It’s slow, melancholic, inciting, tortuous and fragile. The discreet brass instruments and glockenspiel offer flashes of brightness (The Monster), whilst darker, more sober sounds are created by the acoustic guitar in The Glassblower, Abe Wassenstein and Madding crowd. From the dazzling punk of yesterday that originally brought him fame, to the more relaxed, earthly folk he’s known for today, Doherty’s musical career has been full of ups and downs. Regardless, his genius never fails to amaze. © Charlotte Saintoin/Qobuz