Pete Doherty – Calvados Review

Short, sweet and acoustic, that is the noble three in action. Pete Doherty has proven that these solo releases are his strongest yet. Felt Better Alive, the upcoming album from The Libertines’ frontman, has some delightful singles to it. The title track was tremendous, a sincere offering from a legendary figure of the industry coming to terms with the excesses and future. Calvados does the same, the apple trees providing a shadow to rest in, away from the excitement and path to the future. Take a step back, use the countrified perspectives which Doherty is influenced by for your own good. Tightly wound strings, splashes of slow living, and a lovely number from Doherty. A song which leaves you wanting more, not through its story, but through its sudden end. But such is life. A reflective piece from Doherty is a treat. 

Calvados, then, provides us with a stop-off on the road of life. That much is clear from the apple trees and insights into everyday life. Beautify and stupefy with the cool and collected country life; the isolation and liberation go hand in hand for this Doherty single. Where his work with The Libertines, particularly his lyrics, felt floaty and light, it works wonders for his solo works, the calmer tones they afford Doherty and his listeners. Doherty’s interest in old living continues. Normandy lanes pave the way through his tremendously light and free-spirited effort here. Not so much a tribute to the beverage Doherty gets the title from, but certainly a nod to its creation and the occasion to partake in a drink. The weather, the buzz and feel of summer, Calvados is dependent on the lighter charms. Pair it with the title track of his upcoming album, and the route through countrysides and charming oceans is clear.  

The Libertines’ latest shares a common scope with Calvados. Doherty is fascinated by Old England, by the pre-war lives of those in Europe and beyond. It makes for a delicate pairing between his sweet voice, the lived-in experiences of a recognisable frontman and the slower style of living which comes from farmland life. Or at least the city living perception of farm living is of slower spectacles, but the same stakes and risk. Blood, sweat, and toil are signs of hard work to Doherty. He has offered enough of his own through his music, though varying degrees of success followed. Such is the chase of creation. Calvados has a soft liberation to it. A lighter effort which charts the start and end of Calvados production.  

Neat instrumentals and a sudden end, it captures a style of life which suits those wanting to change out of the fast lane. Given the last gasp feeling the world over, Calvados offers escapism. Artists are, more and more, heading back into their memories or out into idyllic resting spots which offer them, as much as their listeners, a chance to break from the day. Mundane or menacing it may be, it is the experience at hand. Doherty makes for a wonderful tour guide through the Normandy paths and fields, the microscopic detail of farmers working their trade, the natural style of life which has been ripped through and re-adapted into cottagecore on TikTok, is at play here. Earnestness is what carries this release, it is what often carries Doherty’s solo works.