Babyshambles
Blinding EP

That damned Pete Doherty never ceases to amaze! I'm not talking about yet another media scandal with gossip about him and his sweet partner Kate "pixie" Moss, nor another emergency hospitalization, nor an arrest in flagrante, nor even the usual "disconcerting" concert to which his fans, poor them, have by now resigned themselves.

Instead, I'm referring to the latest small creation from his Babyshambles, the 'Blinding' EP, released at the end of 2006, a brief appetizer for the full-length expected in 2007. What is truly astonishing is the apparent ease with which he manages yet again to deliver five simple, simple tracks of good UK-made pop rock, which are pleasant to listen to and which you find yourself humming in the shower: the title track, as well as the first single, is a shining example. No less noteworthy are the punkish "Beg, Steal Or Borrow," the Clash-flavored reggae "I Wish," or the Smiths-like "Sedative." Overall, there's nothing exceptional, but all in all, it's a decent piece of work, naturally pending confirmation over the long haul.

Now the dilemma begins to take shape: is he 1) a genius lost in his artificial delusions who is wasting his talent, or 2) an ordinary guy equipped with six strings and a microphone on whom they're experimenting with new substances that amplify musical inspiration? In the first case, we can only hope that those brief moments of lucidity last longer. In the second, I absolutely want to know whom I need to contact for such a substance.

P.S. Written for equal representation given the outright slamming that occurred in the previous review. Let the (virtual) beatings commence.