All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade

All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade is the fourth studio album by English garage rock band the Libertines, released on 5 April 2024 through EMI[1] in the United Kingdom and Casablanca/Republic Records in North America. It is their first studio release in nearly nine years, following Anthems for Doomed Youth (2015).

All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade
Studio album by
Released5 April 2024 (2024-04-05)
RecordedFebruary–March 2023
StudioAlbion Rooms (Margate)
Length38:29
LabelEMI
ProducerDimitri Tikovoï
The Libertines chronology
Anthems for Doomed Youth
(2015)
All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade
(2024)
Singles from All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade
  1. "Run Run Run"
    Released: 13 October 2023
  2. "Night of the Hunter"
    Released: 6 December 2023
  3. "Shiver"
    Released: 19 January 2024

Background

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On 14 October 2023, the band shared the lead single "Run Run Run" and announced the accompanying album. The song was seen as a "classic yet subtly raucous Libs indie dancefloor anthem". Frontman Carl Barât described it as the "lifelong project of a life on the lash" and drew comparisons to the 1971 novel Post Office.[2]

About the album, Pete Doherty revealed that the band "really came together" and found a "moment of rare peace" creating the project comprising 11 tracks.[3] Doherty and Barât first started working on the record in September 2022 at a studio in Geejam in Port Antonio, Jamaica before reuniting with John Hassall and Gary Powell.[4] All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade was recorded over a four-week period in February and March 2023 at the Albion Rooms in Margate,[5] a location owned by the band members.[6] Produced by Dimitri Tikovoï, the recording process felt like them being all "in the same place, at the same speed" and connected for once, according to Barât.[7] All four band members share songwriting credits on every track.[8]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Carl Barât, Pete Doherty, John Hassall and Gary Powell, with additional writers noted.

All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Run Run Run" (Danny Connors)2:53
2."Mustangs" (Connors)3:27
3."I Have a Friend"2:58
4."Merry Old England"4:49
5."Man with the Melody" (Oliver Rhys, Jamie Treays)3:56
6."Oh Shit"3:01
7."Night of the Hunter"4:08
8."Baron's Claw" (Mike Moore)3:37
9."Shiver"3:00
10."Be Young"2:33
11."Songs They Never Play on the Radio"4:07
Total length:38:29

Personnel

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The Libertines

  • Carl Barât – vocals, guitar (all tracks); piano (tracks 5, 8, 11), background vocals (9, 11)
  • Pete Doherty – guitar (all tracks), background vocals (tracks 1, 2, 6, 11), vocals (5, 7, 10, 11)
  • John Hassall – background vocals (tracks 1, 2, 6, 10, 11), drums (1), bass (2–11); synthesizer programming, vocals (5); piano (8)
  • Gary Powell – background vocals (tracks 1, 2, 6, 10, 11), drums (2–11), string arrangement (5, 7), vocals (5), percussion (7)

Additional musicians

  • Richie Kennedy – programming (all tracks), percussion (track 1), piano (2), background vocals (6), clapping (9)
  • Dimitri Tikovoï – percussion (tracks 1–10), Wurlitzer electric piano (1), piano (2, 4, 7, 9, 11), organ (2), keyboards (4, 7, 9–11), background vocals (6)
  • Dan Grech-Marguerat – programming
  • Julie Gay – background vocals (tracks 2, 3, 11)
  • Pascale Mason – background vocals (2, 3, 11)
  • Alice Allen – cello (tracks 4, 5, 7, 11)
  • Liam Brolly – viola (tracks 4, 5, 7, 11)
  • Fiona Brice – violin (tracks 4, 5, 7, 11)
  • Katrina Lee – violin (tracks 4, 5, 7, 11)
  • Claude Samuel Levine – theremin (track 7)
  • Atholl Ransome – saxophone (track 8)
  • Malcolm Strachan – trombone, trumpet (track 8)

Technical

  • Dimitri Tikovoï – production
  • Matt Coltonmastering
  • Dan Grech-Marguerat – mixing
  • Richie Kennedy – engineering
  • Matthew Boyle – engineering (tracks 4, 5, 7, 11)
  • Ben Barker – engineering (track 8)
  • Fiona Brice – string arrangement (tracks 4, 5, 7, 11)
  • The Haggis Horns – recording arrangement (8)
  • Charles Haydon Hicks – mixing assistance
  • Luke Burgoyne – mixing assistance
  • Eliaz Le Floch – engineering assistance
  • Jason Stafford – engineering assistance

Charts

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Chart performance for All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[9] 4
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[10] 40
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[11] 8
French Albums (SNEP)[12] 21
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] 7
Irish Albums (IRMA)[14] 51
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[15] 31
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[16] 41
Scottish Albums (OCC)[17] 1
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 8
UK Albums (OCC)[19] 1
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[20] 6

References

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  1. ^ "All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade". Official Charts.
  2. ^ Trendell, Andrew (13 October 2023). "The Libertines return with 'Run Run Run' and announce new album 'All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade'". NME. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  3. ^ Monroe, Jazz (13 October 2023). "The Libertines Return With First Album Since 2015, Share New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  4. ^ Taysom, Joe (13 October 2023). "The Libertines announce new album 'All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanad". Far Out. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  5. ^ Pearis, Bill (13 October 2023). "The Libertines announce first album in 9 years, share "Run Run Run"". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  6. ^ Lewis, Isobel (13 October 2023). "The Libertines announce first album in nine years, All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade". The Independent. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  7. ^ Anderson, Carys (13 October 2023). "The Libertines Announce Comeback Album All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade, Share New Song: Stream". Consequence. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  8. ^ Breihan, Tom (13 October 2023). "The Libertines Announce First New Album In Nine Years All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade". Stereogum. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Austriancharts.at – The Libertines – All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Libertines – All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Libertines – All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Top Albums (Week 15, 2024)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Libertines – All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 12 April 2024". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  15. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2024-04-15/p/4" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of April 10, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Libertines – All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 April 2024.