10 Greatest Forgotten Songs Of The 2000s
4. Babyshambles - Killamangiro
When a beloved band goes their separate ways - especially one with two key songwriters - one of two things can happen. You may wind up with multiple new projects, different in style but equally effective, or you may see where the talent truly lay in the defunct group. Case in point: Carl Barat’s Dirty Pretty Things vs. Pete Doherty’s Babyshambles.
The former Libertines frontman wasn’t in the best state to helm a group built to last, but while they were active, Babyshamblers put out some great stuff, peaking early with the charmingly ramshackle Killamangiro. While a solid hit at the time, it hasn’t survived through the generations like plenty of tracks from those hazy indie days have, and that’s a shame.
Doherty’s troubled charisma is in full effect as he yips and slurs through the tune. His lyrics aren’t always the most clear, but he can be relied upon to have something to say.
For a man capable of self sabotage, Killamangiro swings for the fences, launching right into a wordless singalong opening. By all rights it should go off at any indie disco around the land, but if the average age of such disco is sub-25, that’s probably not going to happen.