Battle For The Sun - Placebo

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	A new musical direction .  .
Disadvantages:	A lyrical step - back

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Since 2003 I have been a bit of a fan of placebo, thanks to a certain other member of this site.. She knows who she is!! So in the past 6 years I have developed a bit of a collection of CD’s, DVD’s and posters, oh and the odd signed photo hanging on the wall.. So when I heard the band had begun penning their 6th studio album (not counting Once More With Feeling - only a singles collection!) I couldn’t wait to hear the new offering - especially as they had new drummer Steve on board.. Since hearing the first few tracks on the radio, thanks to Zane Lowe I have been quite apprehensive to hear what the album will be live.. So I put in my pre-order of the album and waited until it landed on my doormat to find out!

When it finally arrived the morning of the 6th of June, I nearly ripped it out of my postman’s hand, especially as he delivered it at 7.45am, so I had all day to listen to it and decide if I liked it.. I have had lots of listening time to formulate my own opinion.. Not that I haven’t heard enough opinion about it from my lovely parents!!

Who Are Placebo?

For those of you who don’t know Placebo they are a band formed in the early 1990’s in London by Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdall, the boys who had been to school together in Luxemburg but had really not taken much notice of each other, apparently due to Stefan being part of the ‘sports crowd’ and Brian obviously not being such a sporty fellow, more interested in performing arts and music side of things.. The pair met again on Kensington station platform in London having not seen each other for a number of years. They became better friends than they ever had been at school and given both Brian and Stefan’s love of music, Brian invited Stefan to watch him play in a local bar…

By this point I should say and the rest is history but then I would be lying, after seeing Brian play, Stefan approached Brian and apparently suggested they form a band, having gained a bassist and a guitarist in each other, they now needed a drummer… not that they could happily decide on one, during his time, Brian had met Steve Hewitt, a drummer who Brian had played the occasional gig with, which unfortunately due to other band commitments, meant he was unable to join the band that would later go on to be called ‘Ashtray Heart,’ however fear not, the boys found a drummer - in the shape of Robert Schultzberg. Another former school friend of Stefan’s, with the addition of the drummer the band were set to go…

All they needed now was a name and a recording contract… They got that in the name Placebo and the first album was produced under the label ‘Caroline Records.’

The band now consists of..

* Brian Molko - 10/12/1972...

Brian Molko, born in Brussels on the 10th of December 1972, to an American banker father, and a Scottish mother, is the lead singer, co-song writer, bi sexual and general big mouth of Placebo. As much as his talent is obvious he is also liable as he has admitted himself, the fact that his mouth gets him into trouble…
This young man (well maybe not that young anymore) attended the American International School of Luxembourg with the two other original members of the band, When he finished school he joined Goldsmiths College in London, after discovering his love for androgyny, black nail varnish and eyeliner, he came to England to study drama.. Now anyone who knows of Brian Molko knows he is a little drama queen…

* Stefan Olsdall - 31/03/1974...

Stefan Alexander Bo Olsdal, born 31st of March 1974, in Sweden. The musician and his family moved to Luxembourg, when he was young where he attended the same school as Brian and played in the orchestra there beginning his love of playing.. When he and his parents moved to London, Stefan joined the Musicians Institute.. Which later on, on a tube station in London that Brian and Stefan met, and later formed the band..
Stefan is a very softly spoken member of the band, so much so that despite his 6 foot stature he is completely overshadowed by mouthy Molko..

* Steve Forrest - Well he seems a little elusive to be honest, because I have spent the afternoon looking for information about the new drummer and he is a little hard to find! All I can really gather from little snippets of websites, is that Mr. Forrest comes from California, and previously played with the band Evaline.. A band in which he declared his intentions to leave in early 2007, but stayed throughout their summer tour - during which time he got a little friendly with the Placebo boys.. Only to be named as the new drummer in early 2008..

However I am guessing at some point in the future we will find out more about Steve’s replacement..

Track Listing

1. Kitty Litter..
2. Ashtray Heart..
3. Battle For The Sun..
4. For What It’s Worth..
5. Devil In The Details..
6. Bright Lights..
7. Speak In Tongues..
8. The Never - Ending Why..
9. Julien..
10. Happy Your Gone..
11. Breathe Underwater..
12. Come Undone..
13. Kings of Medicine..

For a starter just looking at those titles, you really would wonder if Molko and his merry band of men are back on the drugs they used to take back in the nineties.. They would of course insist that they aren’t but you do just have to wonder.. Perhaps it is just the sleepless nights for Molko with little Cody to make him have a few weird titles.. Though some of them, if you know the band the title Ashtray Heart will not be so much of a mystery..

Kitty Litter - 3.47

*** 3 Stars..

Well the title sounds like it should be about cats going to the toilet, but guess what? It’s not! When you first look at the lyrics to this song, it is when you realise Placebo have lost it slightly.. I don’t mean that in a nasty or bad way, but put it this way they are a little repetitive, to be honest it is not even a little, it is a lot.. Every verse seems to have a repeated line over and over.. I mean it is not all that annoying unless you are taking notice of the music, for background music I wouldn’t worry too much, but if you are actually listening intently to it, on your mp3 player for example, expect to get a little annoyed!

This song begins exactly as you would expect a Placebo song to start, but an angry riff and solid drum beat - which is the way you can almost recognise that it is a placebo song! This song seems to experiment with what seems like a lot more guitars at once than previously which gives the song a whole new sound, though it does seem the bass line is swallowed up by them. The song itself, is not their best work in my opinion but I can still happily listen to it, without wanting to turn it off or skip right over it.. For a beginning to the album it works well because it is a high tempo track, which prepares you for some of the things that are about happen in the next few songs..

Ashtray Heart - 3.32

*** 3 Stars..

Ok so if you know the band, they used to be called Ashtray Heart, and if you didn’t know - well you do now! Still this song you would imagine given the history in the title it would be a little remiscent of the past and how things had changed.. However I am not really sure what half the words mean.. Some of the lyrics are in English and they are a little weird, suggesting ripping out someones heart and using it to stub out cigarettes is a little weird in it’s own rights really.. Not something I didn’t really expect from Molko’s song writing, but writing in a language that we really don’t have a clue about is a little insulting.. If anyone knows what ‘Mi Corazon de Cenicero’ means please leave a comment.. I have no idea what it means, or what language it is!

This song starts out as it means to go on, as it begins just as a normal sounding Placebo track that has a decent riff and a solid bass line, that is more prominent than in the past.. The drums are consistent with the rest of the song, but strangely enough the introduction of a more obvious backing track is not that fitting at the first listening but as time goes on and you listen to it more it makes more sense being there. The song doesn’t have any particular features that stand out but it isn’t a song you would immediately skip over because it was unbearable.. It is the main song that has actually grown on me in the 10 days I have had the album..

Battle For The Sun - 5.33

*** 3 Stars..

This song was infact the first offering we received from Placebo to a hint about what this album may have been like, and I have to say in the first few listening I was not best impressed with the song, mainly because it just went on forever, some songs should be lengthy.. This one I don’t think so.. It has some incredibly repetitive lyrics, and Molko’s voice gets right on my nerves because honestly how many times can you repeat the word ‘sun,’ ‘weight,’ or ‘fake.’ Honestly it is so dragged out, and I don’t even think it really serves a purpose because there is no way you can listen to it without thinking I am fed up now and wanting to change the song!

This was the first song I heard from the new album and I have to say despite the lyrics being really awful, the actual instrumental guitars are pounding and they really make an effect on the song, it is something really considering it has a lot to make up for given that there is not a lot going for the song in general. One of the quite cool things I noticed about this song, is that new Steve has brought something different in his drumming, at least for this song anyway.. He seems to think he is in a marching band and clapping his drumsticks together instead of on the drum skin, although it does work.. Giving a new dimension to the song..

For What It’s Worth - 2.47

**** 4 Stars..

Now this song is more like a Placebo track, well sort of it has the trademark short length that the better Placebo songs have - for a starter this song has slightly better lyrics - well sort of anyway, they are ar less repetitive than the previous song. At least this song seems to have a little meaning to it, mainly about all the things that happen in life and the effect they have on you.. Which at least gives this song a reason to listen to because it actually sounds good in your ears, and seems like a little more thought has gone into it. Well compared to the previous three songs anyway!

This song is short and sweet, musically it is a great song, it begins with a fast riff that sort of gives away the length of the song I think.. Then the drums kick in and everything seems relatively calm - until the chorus when the guitars get a little more urgent, and then they stop all of a sudden and we have female backing vocals which I have to say is a bit of a new thing for the band. One of the best things about this track is the sections between the chorus and the verse, because it has a quick drop from frantic guitars to just Molko’s voice, it makes me want to listen to the song so loud and sing so loud I sound out of tune!

Devil In The Details - 4.28

** 2 Stars..

Ok so now I don’t want to repeat myself as much as Molko but this song lyrically is a bit naff, this song lyrically to me just sounds like he is getting a bit mad with a party he has to plan. It really doesn’t sound as deep and meaningful as the Placebo lyrics used to, which is a shame - still it gives Molko a reason to vent his feelings about whatever he is rattling about this time.. The only redeeming feature lyrically in this song, well somewhat redeeming is that he mentions ‘all my wicked ways, will come back to haunt me come what may, for all the song I hope to write one day.’ Does that mean he is considering actually writing some decent songs in the future?

I have to say I struggle to listen to even for a minute it really gets on my nerves whether it is the lyrics that annoy me because Brian swears a lot in it, or it might just be the fact compared the ‘For What it’s Worth’ the song is just not as good.. Either way I know I cannot bear to listen to it but I will for the sake of this review..
The song spends the first twenty seconds, with a low drum beat, and creeps in a lovely electronic sound that would fit nicely if there was more to the song.. The song then bursts into heavy guitars and drums without any real warning, and then back to the dull electronic sound they seem so fond of.

Bright Lights - 3.23

**** 4 Stars

This song lyrically makes me laugh, because when you actually listen to them, it seems like Molko is regretting being a mouthy git when he was younger.. As he mentions all the people he has annoyed, and over the years that is a hefty amount of people.. I wonder if he will ever make up with Fred Durst? If you don’t know what I mean and you are a bit of a Placebo fan, check it out on wikipedia and give yourself a bit of a giggle.. Well I have always thought you learn something new everyday with a Placebo song, in this case I am actually right the word Schism, until now I had no clue what it meant, if you want it know.. Its primary meaning is a division in religious denomination - so this song is quite topical given all the religious fighting all over the world..

This song sounds a lot like some of the old Placebo songs it could easily have come from Black Market Music, it has the chiming guitars of old, and the drumming as simple as it can be, enough to make the song more than listenable.. There is nothing special instrumentally about this song, it is just a trademark Placebo song really.. It is easy to listen to, with fitting lyrics.. It is just a great song, but not quite perfect, as we are missing a drum or guitar solo!

Speak In Tongues - 4.06

** 2 Stars..

This song lyrically fits in a little more with the first track of the album Kitty Litter, but still where is the sense in co-ordinating the lyrics with the title.. Why make sense when you can play lets repeat the lyrics over and over.. This song really is not all that prominent on the album even though it has Brian sounding like he is being stabbed at one point, which is not a nice noise when playing the album at a high volume in your car.. The lyrics as I say are just completely unmemorable, which is a pity.. Then again the most prominent thing about this song is Brian’s voice, a few albums ago this higher pitched scream like singing would not have been uncommon - but recently his voice had become a little deeper, but he seems to have regressed slightly!

The song instrumentally is a bit drab, there is more electronic music in the background than there is any guitars which is something that seems to becoming a bit of a pattern with this album, there is a low guitar rhythm in the background which rumbles underneath the surface until close to the end, where it becomes a little heavier, but nothing that really stands out as progress in the album. It could be an earlier song just with different lyrics, it isn’t a song, I would go out of my way to listen to

The Never Ending Why - 3.23

**** 4 Stars..

This song is a little weird I have to say, but it deals with some strange issues including tumours, which is not a delicate song topic I wouldn’t imagine but this is a Placebo song, so things are never normal topics! To be honest meaning wise this song is the best because it has a nice sentiment of despite having lots of time on your hands, things you need to work out - some will never be resolved.. It is probably my favourite song on the album and I have listened to it more than any other song on the album so that is a good sign right?

This song is a little reminiscent of Placebo of old, which is a good thing because it is something that has been quite badly lacking.. There strangely is an underlying rhythm of a piano which sounds a bit twinkley (if you get what I mean) which is definitely something the older albums wouldn’t have done, but still it fits very well with the song so I am not going to complain about it. There is a lot of heavy guitar lines in here, which give it a bit more of a rocky feel to it.. Something of which has been missing and that I am more than happy to hear! However listening to the drums in the background for this track it doesn’t really sound like the new Steve has made much of a difference to the actual music..

Julien - 4.43

**** 4 Stars..

I can’t even begin to try and explain how weird this song is, Brian is suggesting this ‘julien’ should get on a train, in a suitcase if he has to - anyone think they might notice! The most obvious thing that I notice about this song, is the lyric ‘slow motion suicide’ could it really get any darker? I really don’t think so, as much as I though Molko and his song writing had grown up past the suicide stage it appears not, because he is still writing about it.. The lyrics could also be about someone else so I guess I shouldn’t be too quick to judge it! Guess what the last minute of the song is a repetition of the aforementioned lyric.. Yay!

This song is very electro based, something I didn’t expect from the band - Brian’s voice sounds more like he is talking rather than singing but it works well with the beat. The guitar that kicks in sounds quite electronic too perhaps it is but I can’t distinguish between the two! It soon kicks in with some heavier riffs, and something that sounds like a string instrument making the song sound a little more urgent.. At one point this song about 2.45 in it sounds like the hidden track called ‘Evil Dildo,’ strange name I know, if you want to find it, it is on the album ‘Without You I’m Nothing.’ It is thankfully not as frenzied as the song it is similar to but it is easily recognisable as the riff from it!

Happy Your Gone - 3.50

*** 3 Stars..

Did you think we could get through another track without a lot of repetition, oh how I wish I could say this song didn’t sound the same over and over again.. I would be lying though if I did, this song seems to suggest a little guilt, and remorse over something the character in the song has done - to do with a relationship, because mentioning seeing someone in others faces, tends to be how you feel when a relationship has ended. However I may be barking completely up the wrong tree, but still I have made my judgement about how the song speaks to me!

This song starts out so slowly it just feels like it is going to go on forever, which is something that could drive you to distraction.. It is consistently slow, and stops in places, but then bursts into heavier drums and guitars, which is a bit disturbing especially if you are not expecting it! The fact that is disappears into calm music again it just confuses your mind, or and your speakers! If it has a little more consistency of a mid tempo not changing from one to the other it would be more listenable - which is why I don’t really like this song.

Breathe Underwater - 3.44

*** 3 Stars

This song, does seem like Molko is feeling a little delicate but knows he has done something wrong.. This song actually mentions a lot of things that people have critised Molko for in the past such as his ego - having always been known for loving himself just that little bit too much.. It seems to be a bit of an attack of concience, to make him realise that if he doesn’t stop alienating himself people will not want him and he has only just realised.. Then again it would be quite egotistical to write a song about himself - but maybe then again that’s the point he is making - I don’t know!

This song has a more consistent tempo to it but still it is not the best song on the album, but it is defiantly a grower.. As I sit here listening to it at the moment, I have to say I am enjoying it more than I did two days ago, as the guitars are more of Placebo of old, which is something that very few songs on this album can boast.. It does drop in depth part way through but the tempo never changes too dramatically so it is automatically more listenable than the previous song. It has a very faint bass line, that can actually be heard unlike most tracks that drown it out with heavy guitars or drums.

Come Undone - 4.37

*** 3 Stars..

As you get closer to the end of the album I personally think the songs get a little boring to be honest, they become a little more serene and the lyrics are very repetitive, at quite boring simply repeating the words ‘you come undone’ it does get very irritating, the lyrics seem to have no particular meaning other than just someone falling apart.. Still that is no excuse for the poor show of lyrics on Molko’s behalf, as there are very few and those there are, are either repeated or similar with words replaced.. There seems to be no real imagination gone into it which is a real shame.

For those of you who know the album Sleeping With Ghosts, this song is very similar in sound to Centrefolds I think, because it seems nice and slow without any real heavy guitars until a way into the song.. When it does kick in it actually sticks around, and makes sense for being there. As centrefolds does, it has a slightly melancholic feel to it, without being annoying.. This song would have been ideal for the last track because it has plenty of solos which really make it stand out from a lot of the songs on this album.. The only thing that lets it down is the lyrics..

Kings Of Medicine - 4.13

** 2 Stars..

When I first heard this song, I couldn’t really get my head around what on earth Molko was on about, but I think I have an idea now, I may be over reacting to the idea, of being in a bag, but to me that tends to mean being dead.. Regretting spending time with someone who gets them into a lot of trouble, however knowing Molko’s past he would be the one getting people into trouble, well at least in his younger days.. It seems odd that he is referring to drugs as that is a subject they have not really broached as a band for a very long time..

This song begins fairly acoustically with just guitars and slow drumming, it continues to be fairly slow with a piano background and a constant low drumming.. There is some of this albums trademark electronic sound as the song processes.. As the song heads towards the second chorus things tend to get a bit more urgent, to just calm down again with the piano melody - it is a very calm song, but it isn’t perhaps the best way to end the album because it doesn’t really leave you with a lasting impression. Nothing to really make you go back for more

Overall

Compared to the placebo lyrics of old, I have to say I am quite disappointed.. Where Molko used to really create songs, that meant something strongly to him or an experience he had to we could all relate to on some level.. With clever imagery and language sometimes that meant I needed a dictionary or an English degree to work out - ok the degree was maybe a bit dramatic, but one song did teach me something that I used in my English A-level.. So all those days I spent listening to Placebo albums that my parents despised was worth it in the end.. Not that they will ever agree - anyway!

The lyrics of their debut album maybe weren’t so spectacular either, but they didn’t completely rely on repeating themselves over and over again.. The songs, had something different about them, lyrics that were catchy in a slightly disturbing sense talking about drugs, silver rockets and lubricants - and when you are 13 or 14 years old, I think I can understand why my parents weren’t so keen on them.. However regardless of some weird topics in their songs they at least had a little substance to them, which is one of the main reasons the band gets the gossip they do - controversial is the bands middle name in a sense because everything up until now had something that was a topic relatively uncovered.. No Black Eyed Peas, Boom Boom Pow’s here.. Thankfully!

I mean don’t get my wrong these songs aren’t completely unlistenable, but they are not some of the songs I would have on repeat on my shiny new iPod - because for the most part there is very little imagination in the topics because a topic of regretting what he did earlier on in his life doesn’t need to be depicted in numerous situations, especially for new fans who really aren’t going to know about his shady past unless they decide to dig around the history of Brian Molko and find out about his mouthy attitude, the fights, and temper tantrums of the past.

The references to death in this album that I have noticed are a little over the top with the lack of subtlety - in a bag.. Well that’s a lovely thing to listen too! So the Placebo albums have never been all that joyous but they at least had a better way of dealing with death! The writing itself, as I said before used to be full of words that were more like an English lesson - I have either become a little cleverer since the previous album was released, or Molko is running out of big words to baffle me with.. As only one word this album has baffled me for a split second which is Schism.. If you read a little bit above you will know I do now know what it means.

This album as I have spoken to many people about is step in a new direction for the band, as much as I do agree with that I have to say in some places it is a step back because they seem to be heading back to the dark place they appeared to have broken through from after Black Market Music. For two albums now there has been no direct references to death or anything that harsh but for some reason it seems to have come out now..

Musically the album is quite good, I can imagine this album would be brilliant live, with some of the great guitar riffs that start of some of the songs, especially the one that sounds just like ‘Evil Dildo’ - given that we are highly unlikely to ever hear that song live it is nice to hear it even if only slightly in another song.. There are a lot of electronic bits to most of the songs on this album which could be a pain to perform live, although they do have extra men to help them out.. It is interesting to hear a different side to Placebo including more string instruments, to give it a more melancholic sound or somewhat more frantic tempo to it.. Either way it does its job very efficiently.. There are small hints of piano in here, which I can see Molko taking great delight in playing with Stefan..
I am not going to say that Steve Forrest is a bad drummer, because he is not, I have heard some brilliant drumming on this album, even if he is just clapping his sticks together, he has brought something new to the bands sound. Then again at the same time I think he has brought something bad to the band, it seems as I said before it has brought something dark back on the band that seemed a lot cheerier in Meds, than ever before!

I can just hope at some point in the future when they release the next album we see a better newer side to Placebo, one that maybe is not so much influenced by a new member - Sorry Steve Forrest but I am blaming you for this dramatic down turn in the quality of Placebo songs, bring back Steve Hewitt!!!!!!!

Price and Availability

Play.com - £7.99
Amazon.co.uk - £7.98
CDWow - £7.99
As always you can pop onto eBay and see if you can get a deal on there, but I like to have my CD from new knowing it is mine!!

Thank you for reading!