"What became of the likely lads/What became of the dreams they had?" The Libertines's eponymous sophomore album both poses and answers this question, just in case you haven't been paying attention to the tabloids. After the tuneful yet ferocious pop-punk-garage-rock of their acclaimed debut, Up the Bracket, the UK's most talented wastrels turn inward to chronicle the tortured (platonic) love story of bandmates Carl Barat and Pete Doherty. The two most coherent tracks both feature rueful duets: "Can't Stand Me Now" and "What Became of the Likely Lads" bookend the album with bitterness and ambivalence. Elsewhere, there are lots of great ideas for songs, some filled in with genuine brilliance, like the deranged doo-wop of "What Katie Did" or the lovely, despairing "Music When the Lights Go Out." Ragged, slapdash, seemingly half-finished, The Libertines has more energy and inspiration than most albums by bands with twice their focus.