Peter Doherty has catapulted into 2025 with his latest track ‘Felt Better Alive’, the debut single from his identically named album set for release on May 26.
Following his return to the stage with The Libertines last year and a collaboration with Shed Seven on ‘Throwaways,’ the first single from his upcoming record marks a celebrated comeback for the often misunderstood indie icon. ‘Felt Better Alive’ only serves to solidify his return to the public eye, offering a rich, multi-layered indie-folk sound marked by captivating riffs that subtly evoke the spirit of Johnny Cash.
The music video for the new hit opens with a striking image of Doherty washed up on a pebbled beach on the Normandy coastline, accompanied only by his guitar and a single rose. This powerful visual underscores themes of survival that have overshadowed his life in the spotlight, which are echoed in the song’s lyrics about getting clean and finding clarity amidst murky, troubled waters: ‘I gave my nights up for old songs, sound better alive / I gave my life over to old songs, sound better alive / I dredged the mouth of the Humber, felt better alive.’
Speaking to NME, Doherty acknowledged the melancholic yet spiritually uplifting feel of the album, telling the magazine: “I think there’s enough melancholy in this record to fill a good-sized jerry can. The idea is to splash it on the audience and see if it ignites or not”.
Doherty will commence his ‘Anywhere in Albion’ tour in March, stopping off at all the tucked away pitstops of the Albion, commencing in Wales and ending in Newcastle. Whether his latest material will truly set the musical world on fire or not remains to be seen; however, the newest hit from the poet-turned-rockstar serves as a reassuring sign that the next phase of his musical journey will be one to watch.
Words by Ruby Brown
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