'Battle For The Sun' is Placebo's Latest Album release ..

I will admit having tried to have a sneaky listen for free on spotify but seeing they only had a sampler of the Album I.e Not the full track listing I headed over to Itunes and decided to treat myself to the full 14 tracks.

The cost of this album download was £7.99. Admittedly I did spot it for £7.95 on play.com's mp3 downloads,but as I am a long time Itunes customer I decided to buy it on there.

I also saw the c.d. on play.com and it was around £13!! That was a special CD/DVD + Plus booklet version -so that kind of would explain the price.On most sites the CD alone is about £8.50

Having already had a little taster on spotify I was really looking forward to getting the full download, as soon as It was purchased I stuck it on my mp3 player for a listen via my headphones on LOUD!!!!!

Seeing as I am already familiar with previous releases, and have liked Placebo since they were first around in the 90's the precedent had already been set and I had high expectations for this album.

When Placebo first came out 'we' were living in the time of grunge and indie music -I guess in a way we still do,its just your more likely to hear words like 'emo' banded around now days to describe music that is obviously meant to be 'thought provoking' or to state the obvious 'emotional' and of course full of Angst !!

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Track 1 Kitty Litter .. 03.50

I found this as the opening track to be somewhat mediocre ,not calling it bad, but not exactly that memorable.I can imagine it being used as a background track in a movie or something , playing it in my head phones it seemed good song for just going off in a daydream, so i'd say it was ok enough not to skip but more of a background track. A grower perhaps?

A lot of same sound guitar throughout ,not much variety to it.

quote from the lyrics
''Love of mine..this fortress in our heart, feels much weaker,now we're apart.Love of mine..this fortress in our heart ,comes crashing down'
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Track 2 Ashtray Heart 03:35

I definitely would rate this as the first decent track on this album,not bad as its the second track on the album. ,It's upbeat musically . Catchy vocal/backing lyrics/vocal s.I think its a pretty original song for Placebo , I can't make out what the backing chorus are singing -but catchy all the same.kind of like the chanting you get in the chorus of a football anthem song.

Although this sounds upbeat, musically the lyrics unsurprisingly are in the usual 'angst' style that Placebo are known for .My interpretation is- Here he sings about how finding someone ,who at the time he couldn't have known that they were that special and that although the person in question wanted to commit he could never quite take the plunge .

It is then that he starts sing about his 'ashtray heart' at first I thought he meant his own heart but as I listened more I think his 'ashtray heart 'belonged to the lover that he couldn't commit to, and he was kind of meaning it was him who had turned their heart into an 'ashtray heart ' because he had effectively stubbed out his cigarette in their heart when he had caused them the hurt.

Of course music and Art is always open to personal interpretation and can mean anything to anyone.
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Track 3. Battle for the sun 05:35

This is the title track of course .
I love how the lyrics in the verses are sung. As you will see the first and last words of each sentence of the verse are repeated-As the beat picks up getting more into the song the vocals are sung in a way that kind of impersonates an echo and I really like how the word is repeated on the off beat of the drums so the vocals kind of make up the sound for the beat of the song -sounds really cool

quote from lyrics:
''I ,I ........ will battle for the sun ,sun,sun ''
''and I,I....I won't stop until i'm done,done ,done''

''you ,you ,you ..are getting in the way,way,way''

''and I,I,I ..have nothing left to say,say,say,''

This song has a great build up to the end of the track . starting right in the middle of the track is where you get a taste of whats to come .It really gets into your head by the time the last minute is upon you ,I guess one might describe it as euphoric especially in the very las 35 seconds! This song does not let itself down as the title track, it is EXCELLENT!
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Track 4 For what its worth 02:50

This track is more 'angst'-the type that you feel when its you against the world !
The chorus of this is the best -'while Brian sings '' for what its worth'' on the first chorus,and a later chorus a strange kind of background noise comes in ,at first I just thought it was guitar with loads of wah wah on it, but listening closer sounds like vocals with vocoder singing '' yeah yeah' ..well whatever it is ,it sounds really cool .At the beginning of the last minute there is a short pause where sounds you'd expect to hear on a early video games console are played -adds a little extra interest to a an already great Track.
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Track 5 Devil In The Details 04:31

This Track is another of the best on here in my opinion -very anthemic one to sing along with in a crowd at a Placebo concert . This song really builds up much like track 3 'Battle for the Sun' But with this track its build up is more sustained as it goes ,by the middle part of the song it builds up enough to carry right through to the end ,This is one you can really get lost in while listening to it through your headphones.
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Track 6 Bright Lights 03:26

If I had to choose- this one is definitaly my favorite song on the album. I guess its a 'thinking about' and 'reminiscing' of things sort of song.I could easily drift off listening to this,Its uplifting in the same way that when you feel down and you watch a sad movie ,you cry but you feel better after. The music is great on this track. There is a high pitch instrument playing in the background for quite a bit of the time between the verse/chorus, a sound that has a lot of reverb and slight pitch bend on it, high like a recorder type sound . it really adds to and enhances the emotion of the track .

Favorite lyric from this track and also the album is

'' a heart that hurts is a heart that works'' but this track is full of decent lyrics

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Track 7 Speak in Tongues 04:08

Another quite emotive/uplifting/anthemic track-once it gets going anyway.

I wasn't that impressed by the intro ,sounded kind of weird can't pin point why in words.I think it reminds me some weird kind of trashy interlude music (if you remember eurotrash, it used to air on channel 4 all those years ago,and were unfortunate enough to catch any of it while you were channel hopping-well, it reminds me of that )

quote from the lyrics

''so we both can speak in tongues /until the universe is done/and the course of time has run.''

Sadly and disappointingly , I only really like this song after it gets past the half way mark, and i'd even go so far as to say that past the halfway mark i'd class this as one of the best tracks on the album.It kind of has that similar euphoric/anthemic build up in it, like tracks 3 and 5 does, if not better ,shame the start of the song let it down quite a bit (for me-anyway).Otherwise it could have been my favourite.

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Track 8 The Never-ending why?

A great start to this track ,it gets straight into the song and this is another of the best tracks (in my opinion of course)from the album . Quite a quick pace to this song ,its another 'philosophical' or' thinking mood' type song .

quote from lyrics:

''The atom will implode / the fragile kingdom fold / the tremor becomes a quake / and there's a body in the lake / and as the two of us rebel / damn you all to hell / I wonder is this all there is?
'Time will help you through / but it doesn't have the time /to give you all the answers/ to the never ending why.''

Both the lyrics and the music are pretty much outstanding on this track and I'm beginning to wonder if this in fact might be my favorite track -its so hard to decide.
A great Track!

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Track 09 Julien

This song is probably more unique to any of the other tracks its starts with a simple bass line simple beat and vocals-it gradually builds up-its another 'thought provoking' track. It works itself up into a heavy track , with orchestral sounding strings and a small choir or backing group -sounds really quite emotional at its peak .

quote from the lyrics

''by a ticket for the train / hide in a suitcase if you have too / this ain't no singing in the rain / this is a twister that would destroy you / you can run but you can't hide / because no-one here gets out alive /
find a friend in whom you can confide / Julien you're a slow motion suicide /Falling angels in the night / and everyone is barred from heaven / just one more hit to make it right / but everyone turns into seven .''

'Julien' is another great track from this album, liked as much as the others I have put as favorites. I will say, this track took a couple of listens before it really grew on me.

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Track 10 Happy you're Gone

starts down tempo builds up eventually
into a real anthemic song,I could imagine shouting the words out to this at a festival/gig .

quote of lyrics

'' how many times / how many times / now I can't look you in the eyes / now I can't look you in the eyes / how many times / how many times / /now I can't look you in the eyes / and I don't even want to try / my mind / my mind/ 'cos every word from you's a lie ..''

This song has a pretty sombre mood about it - you get the feeling of deep loss throughout parts of the song ,again though ,as with some previous songs on the album, although being quite a depressing song, it still gives an uplifting feel as you listen. Its funny how Music/Movies / Books can do that . I guess you'd call it life affirming or something.

Another Great Track from this album.
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Track 11 Breathe under water

A more upbeat track . I love the shape of this track ,lots of variety through out ,both musically and vocally,and this is an all round very catchy song . Good to jump around to! A good party track!

Quote from the lyrics

''here comes another fall from grace / i'm always falling on my face. /This attitude that I embrace / with the love i'm trying to replace / try to kill the song / cause the melodies all wrong / and there's a fever coming on / its hard to reconcile / what i've become / with the wounded child hiding deep inside / breathe under water / i'm coming up for air / i wanna see another dawn ''

turn this one up!! Great Track !!

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Track 12 Come undone

A slower track . I needed to give this a couple of listens to decide if it was a grower or not. I think its just a filler track really ,not really that memorable ,if I was listening to it to get to sleep it would be perfect . Its not a song that really inspires me ,it does pick up towards the last minute of play so I will give it that . It is a better track musically then it is lyrically ,lyrically its very boring. Not a lot of variety to the lyrics in this track.

Quote from lyrics

''you don't know how you're coming across / you don't know what you're coming across / you don't know who you're coming across / you don't know how you're coming across / so you come undone ''

I think you can probably see what I mean about the lyrics. I may skip this one a lot from my playlist.

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Track 13 Kings Of Medicine

In huge contrast to the previous track this one is amazing . Its a pretty moving track and again it leaves me in a bit of a dilemma as to whether this or another track could be my actual favorite track from this album,being indecisive as I am, I guess you or I will never know the answer as to which track is my favorite. I really like the singing style in this -is definitaly full of emotion which enhances the already pretty decent lyrics being sung ,the music is pretty amazing on this track there is an orchestral/ brass band sound in the background (tho i'm no expert-could just be a synth').Its one of those songs where you get a strong believing for and a strong feel for the feelings behind the lyrics.

Quote from the lyrics

''Don't leave me here to pass through time, without a map or road sign / don't leave me here ,my guiding light cos I / I wouldn't know where to begin / I asked the kings of medicine / Their picking up pieces of me,while their picking up pieces of you / lying on ice you will be, before the day is over / its a case in point baby ,that you never thought it through / stupid me, to believe ,I could depend on stupid you / and on the tip of my tongue / were words that always came out wrong / cos they were drowned in southern comfort/ and left to dry out in the sun / the noon day sun ''

Lyrically Great . Another sad but happy song . A great song !one of the best in my opinion,on this album ,if not THE best!

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Track 14 In a Funk (Bonus Track)

The closing album track is this one. starts out with a simple bass line simple drums and vocals - and each verse is sung like that with the chorus and bridge sung a bit heavier . I would say this song is fairly unmemorable much like track 1 and 12 so for me another filler really and a bit of a disappointment. Hasn't really grown on me with further playing of the track . Not a lot of variety in it ,so therefore is somewhat monotonous and boring .

quote from the lyrics

''call me anticipation / call me out of line / but i gotta hotel reservation / in the name of valentine / in the place where we vacation and we walk across the beach / i felt your breath against my neck as the waves carressed my feet''

Lyrically the song is pretty good but the music lets it down for reasons mentioned above. ' monotonous and boring .' guess there is still time for it to grow on me.

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All in all this Album is pretty great with only a couple of tracks that I'm not to bothered about hearing, and the rest being quite easily favorites if played on any of my playlists ,so that can't be bad.

I think although it is quite identifiably 'placebo ' from just hearing them, they do have a somewhat newer or different sound to previous releases. I wouldn't say it was a big departure from their usual style -its pretty subtle in its difference really and in my opinion its as good as or better then SOME of there previous stuff.

favorite tracks are:

03 battle for the sun
04 Devil in the Detail (this song contains strong swearing)
06 Bright Lights
08 the never-ending why?
09 Julien
10 Happy you're gone
11 Breathe under water
13 Kings of medicine (probably my favorite)

8/14 favorites is not bad in my opinion

I don't Hate any off the tracks, but there are a couple of fillers and ones that I wouldn't go out of my way to add to play lists- a couple of others nearly made the favorites list .

I recommend this album .

My download also came with video of the making of for 'for what its worth' I haven't been able to watch it yet though because my computer is to rubbish to handle it .
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Since submitting this review I have realized that also included on this download is a pdf file Bonus Booklet so I would like to mention a bit about this as well.
This was opened in acrobat reader.

The pdf file has 13 pages and contains all the artwork that i'm thInking would come in an actual paper booklet should you purchase the CD/dvd .

Page 1 - is the front cover -artwork

Page 2- is the track listing (only tracks 1-13 are listed as track 14 is a bonus track)

Page 3- is a photo shot of Brian Molko (lead man)

Page 4 - Is an arty photo with the lyrics for tracks -Kitty Litter /Ashtray Heart .Since viewing the lyrics I can now confirm that the backing on track 2 was indeed not english and included the following '' cenicero-Mi corazon de cenicero'' I'm still ignorant as to what language that is !

Page 5 - Another arty photo of one of the band members-I'm sorry I don't know the name.

Page 6 -This is some more art works and the lyrics of 3 more of the albums track listing.

Page 7- Another picture of another band member.

Page 8 - further Lyrics and Art work

Page 9- A full page just for the song '' The never-ending why''

Page 10- Is a Black & white Arty photo of the three band members

Page 11- lyrics for Tracks 9,10,11

Page 12- Lyrics for come undone and Kings of medicine, set against an orangey sunset photo/Art work

Page 13 -Is a list of all the credits & 'Thanks' and from what I can see my suspicions were right about some of the tracks having string arrangements along with brass and woodwind sections/instruments as opposed to being done on a synth' . Also lists all backing vocalists .

All tracks were written and performed by placebo -except Track 2 :Written by Brian Molko ''........ and so on ....

If you have made it this far -Thank you for taking time to read my review.