Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 15
  2. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Spin
    100
    This is music to play in dark, velvety, womblike bars; this is music to play while buying cigarettes; this is music for well-dressed poor people. [May 2003, p.109]
  2. Blender
    100
    Not since the Clash has a band evoked so precisely the grime and thrill of young London. [#15, p.124]
  3. The group's innate intelligence and almost shocking ability to forge something new and thrilling out of typical garage-rock influences always shines brightly through the thick Guinness fog.
  4. Virtually every song on Up the Bracket is chock-full of the bouncy, aggressive guitars, expressive, economic drums, and irresistible hooks that made the Strokes' debut almost too catchy for its own good.
  5. Like The Clash before them, The Libertines draw primarily from decades of rock tradition-- blues, dub, a healthy whiff of the English countryside, and a few gorgeous rock riffs straight from the brainstem of Chuck Berry-- and fuse them into an unruly and triumphant monster of an album.
  6. Eventually every song will kick in from a slightly different angle, including faux folk and cracked ballad.
  7. Mojo
    80
    This is thrilling, intelligent stuff. [Dec 2002, p.122]
  8. Up the Bracket is the most overbearing UK rock album to come out since Oasis' Definitely Maybe.
  9. Emphasizing colorful vocals over the average playing benefits the band enormously.
  10. More life-affirming than life-changing, on Up the Bracket the Libertines deliver a stellar set of songs that -- both musically and lyrically -- neatly synthesizes the past 40 years of English rock.
  11. Q Magazine
    70
    They're talented then, but also lucky that the strength of the decent songs outweighs the inclusion of the odd rough sketch, a studio jam, and an outright Chas & Dave-style stinker. [Dec 2002, p.103]
  12. As fun as Up The Bracket can be, it might well be better if the group acknowledged that it's living in the 21st century.
  13. Alternative Press
    60
    While their occasional reliance on wide-eyed sloppiness isn't endearing, when the band clean up, they have some irresistible pop nuggest in them. [Apr 2003, p.80]
  14. Uncut
    40
    Seems an innocuous exercise in regurgitation rather than innovation. [Dec 2002, p.131]
  15. There's definitely something horrid, hairy and horrendously hippyish hobbling these lovely boys.
User Score
8.8

Universal acclaim- based on 89 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 80 out of 89
  2. Negative: 6 out of 89
  1. [Anonymous]
    Jan 5, 2004
    10
    Listened to it time and time and time again, and still love it. Ignore what any naysayers might say - if you like good, two-fingers (or one - Listened to it time and time and time again, and still love it. Ignore what any naysayers might say - if you like good, two-fingers (or one - I'm English) -up-to-the-world music that makes you want to scream every song at the top of your voice on top of a high building (or is that just me?) then buy this album. I class a good album by the number of tracks i want to skip, and there are none on this one. I could listen to each one twice or even thrice in a row. The English might not be able to land a mars probe as well as Americans, but we can still make damn fine music. Full Review »
  2. Oct 7, 2017
    9
    One of the best debut records of the 00's. Full of high tempo, raucous indie tunes infused with a punk spirit."Death on the Stairs" and "TimeOne of the best debut records of the 00's. Full of high tempo, raucous indie tunes infused with a punk spirit."Death on the Stairs" and "Time for Heroes" are particular stand out tracks but there are many highlights. Lyrically clever and full of great riffs, Mick Jones really captured the essence of this band here. Like their US counterparts The Strokes, The Libertines showed so much potential but few would claim they ever fulfilled it. Full Review »
  3. Jan 9, 2015
    10
    No es difícil de visualizar el porqué de esta puntuación, todo es simple: es un álbum novedoso, lo último en su época (a pesar de que se trateNo es difícil de visualizar el porqué de esta puntuación, todo es simple: es un álbum novedoso, lo último en su época (a pesar de que se trate de post-punk revival), el estilo se distingue de los demás y, para finalizar, excelente en todos sus aspectos. Full Review »