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Babyshambles
Shotter's Nation
Out October 23rd

Given Pete Doherty's addictions, arrests and on-again-off-again relationship with Kate Moss, the second record from his group Babyshambles could easily have been a disaster. Instead, the ex-Libertine crafted twelve tight tunes, ranging from the jazzy swing of "There She Goes" to the Kinks-cribbing rocker "Delivery." Even Scottish folk icon Bert Jansch contributes guitar, on the ballad "The Lost Art of Murder." The sessions weren't without pitfalls Producer Stephen Street, best known for his work on the Smiths' Strangeways, Here We Come, threatened to quit three times, and Doherty was often AWOL. "I wouldn't say Pete was focused 100 percent of the time," says drummer Adam Ficek. "But there were times when he did focus, and Stephen got some great sessions with Pete alone -- he's better without any distractions."