IS THE title of Doherty’s solo debut a comment on his short yet tumultuous career? Could he be going for an oblique reference to stars that burned bright and died young, Jeff Buckley and Elvis Presley? Or has the self-appointed poet of Albion been dusting off his Eliot?

Whatever the thinking, the name fits. Doherty has an irresistible, elegantly wasted drawl and never strays too far from grace – in his musical life at least. Pete hasn’t featured too prominently in The Sun recently, which probably bodes well for his health and the fans who are more interested in Doherty the artist than Doherty the ****hole. While opener Arcady retraces ideas familiar to any Libs aficionados, stripped down to simple acoustic, Grace/Wastelands manages to be much more than an unplugged Libertines album.

There’s world-weary orchestration on 1939 Returning and A Little Death Around The Eyes; some lovely, understated dub on Last Of The English Roses; and the sound of the Spanish plains on I Am The Rain. The anticipated Doherty/ Barat reunion is still out of reach, but the former’s career will be far from a wasteland without it.