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WHAT'S ROCKING OUR WORLD

Except for the occasional Big Audio Dynamite highlight, the post-Combat Rock output from former Clash singer-guitarist Mick Jones has been infrequent and unremarkable. So it's heartening to see ''Produced by Mick Jones'' on the back of the import-only UP THE BRACKET (Rough Trade), the rousing debut by London quartet THE LIBERTINES. Something of a British equivalent of the Strokes, the band is to late-'70s U.K. punk what their New York counterparts are to Television and Lou Reed. And like the Strokes, the Libertines have enough flair and personality to escape copycat accusations. Thrills abound, most notably on the lean and mean ''Horror Show,'' the Jam-y title track, and album peak ''Time for Heroes,'' which recalls the Only Ones and, fittingly enough, the Clash. A-

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Originally posted Nov 29, 2002 Published in issue #684 Nov 29, 2002 Order article reprints

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