A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PLACEBO

I normally wouldn’t start a review with information about the artist/band in question. However, I would imagine that plenty of people reading this review don’t actually know who Placebo are (they have never really been mainstream), so in this instance it seemed like a logical place to kick things off.

Placebo are a British band that were formed in 1994, and despite the fact that you may not have heard of them (or may have heard of them, but can’t instantly recall any of their songs) they have in fact enjoyed a significant amount of success, and have sold over one million albums in the UK. In terms of style of music, they are very much a rock band, and any attempt to paint them as anything else would be somewhat misleading. In terms of comparison, they could perhaps be placed into the same general group as bands such as Blur and Radiohead. That said, over the years Placebo have noticeably attempted to advance their music and vary their style a little. This brings with it a level of appreciation from fans, and I at least feel that the band is not content with slipping into complacency by producing similar material with every album, which is good to see. Battle For The Sun is their sixth album, and is one that perhaps shows the most significant varying of their style to date. Certainly on reflection this was a bit of a risk, and if you want to know whether or not that risk has paid off, I suggest you read on.

TRACKLIST

1. Kitty Litter (3/5)

Odd title, but a very familiar start in terms of how this song pans out. I know I just said that this album is an attempt by Placebo to vary their style, but those who have listened to Placebo albums in the past will instantly feel at home with the opening to this song. Harsh riffs and solid drum beats bring a high tempo opening (and, indeed, a high tempo song) that signals the classic signs of a Placebo album. However, there are small signs of the changes to come, as there is clearly more variety as to the number of styles of guitars. On the whole though this track does its job by setting the tone and nothing more. The lyrics are a little lacking to be honest, and certainly if you analyse this song closely the main flaw that will be exposed is in that area (it’s repetitive and just not really very endearing). However, as a song that you’re only half listening to as a part of a playlist it’s absolutely fine, and a decent enough opening to the album.

2. Ashtray Heart (3/5)

This song is similar to Kitty Litter in that it is high tempo with solid and consistent rifts. However, the sound that it produces in general is noticeably less harsh. There is also a backing track, which may sound a little odd to Placebo fans, but which actually works quite well all things considered. The song is in danger of being a little bit generic (a cardinal sin for rock fans), but the introduction of some non English lyrics adds a little bit of quirkiness. It’s quirkiness that I imagine will turn off a lot of people who are used to Placebo producing something that is, well, not in a foreign language, but personally I quite like it. The song is not spectacular, but it signals an intent on behalf of the band to become slightly more appealing to a wider audience, which bodes well for things to come.

3. Battle For The Sun (2/5)

The title track, but one that honestly got me very worried about this album, because after a promising opening couple of tracks this one goes down hill. The thing is, if you take the individual components of this song, they are fine by themselves. The problem is that they do not come together at all. The lyrics are repetitive, and a lot of the song is just a chore to listen to. Listening is something instinctive that requires no effort as a rule, but I genuinely found it to be a struggle to listen to this song. If the uninspiring style wasn’t bad enough by itself, the fact that this goes on for over five minutes is a nail in the coffin. As I said, there are some individual components that are fine (and rescue the song from a mark of 1/5), but on the whole this is just a struggle to listen to. One to be skipped.

4. For What It’s Worth (5/5)

Luckily the anti climax of the title track is soon scrubbed away with this song, which is much, much better. It’s a decent tempo again, but the thing that sets this apart from the three songs that came before it seems to be that a lot more thought has gone into it, and it really comes together very well. The lyrics are catchy, the tempo is good, and, importantly, the song is very pleasant to listen to. It just sounds good in the same way that the more mainstream rock tracks do (such as the recent ish Kings of Leon hits). It’s also short and snappy, which means that there is no risk of it becoming dragged out or repetitive. It’s really one to sing along to in the car whilst tapping your hand on the steering wheel, and overall this is one of my favourite tracks on the album.

5. Devil In The Details (1/5)

This is very different in style to the ones that came before it, with a very noticeable electronic backing for a lot of the song. Then you have lyrics that, because of the electronic backing, don’t really sound like a song. Followed by a burst of guitar riffs from nowhere in the middle of the song, before a finish with the electronic backing again. If you think that this sounds like a rubbish recipe for a song, you would be right. It is rubbish. It barely actually sounds like a song at all for most of the time, and really is just a mess. Very difficult to listen to and really with no redeeming features that I can see.

6. Bright Lights (4/5)

I was very apprehensive about this track because the first thing I noticed is that the electronic backing sound is stuck with her as with Devil In The Details. However, this time it is actually done right. It is very easy to listen to with the electronic effects on the guitar put to good use. There is no traditional drum or guitar solo present, but then again it would have felt a little out of place if anything. The lyrics are a little odd to be perfectly honest, but on the whole this is a solid track and will please newcomers and fans alike.

7. Speak In Tongues (3/5)

The band stick with the electronic sounds with this one, interlaced with light guitar riffs. The standout feature, however, is the vocals, which are far more ambition in terms of pitch compared to other songs on this album. And they actually work quite well, which is a shame because the song as a whole is missing something and doesn’t seem to come together quite right. You almost feel like the vocal ambition deserved something better to back it up. Instead you have a track that is decent enough, but just doesn’t do enough to be memorable in the long run. A pity.

8. The Never Ending Why (4/5)

The lyrics for this one are odd. I’m not actually a person who generally pays close attention to lyrics when listening to rock music, even when I’m singing along to it (which may sound like a contradiction, but I promise that it isn’t). But it is noticeable that these lyrics are odd. However, thankfully it doesn’t detract from what is, tempo wise at least, an upbeat offering. The desire for Placebo to alter their style is shown here by some odd sharp piano sounding notes at parts of the song, but on the whole that somehow works with the meaty guitar riffs even though it really shouldn’t. A decent track.

9. Julien (1/5)

This is a very strange song. It’s electronic based again, and has something of a blaring backing track. There’s not really much to say about this. I don’t like it. The lyrics sound somewhat monotone in front of this really odd backing track, and I just can’t get into this track at all. It’s deep and repetitive and just not appealing. This doesn’t work for me at all.

10. Happy You’re Gone (4/5)

The piano chiming sound is back again for this one, but only to introduce some stronger guitar riffs later on. In many ways the guitar riffs offer some classic rock, which becomes even more prominent when combined with the strong vocals. I actually really like this track. The opening lyrics become mellow when put in front of the chiming back track, and then become much more powerful and emotional when the guitar comes in. It just works really well, and is a song that I took to straight away. If I had one criticism it would be that the mellow section at the start lasts a little too long, but by the end you won’t care.

11. Breathe Underwater (3/5)

The high tempo with guitar riffs from the first two songs is back, though it is interlaced with some interesting drum work. The vocals are a little stronger as well. On the whole though this one falls into the same category as the first two songs on the album. It is a high tempo rock song with some solid riffs, that is decent to listen to as a background track, but falls apart a little when you analyse it. Solid, but not spectacular.

12. Come Undone (3/5)

And now we’re back to mellow. This song is similar to Happy Your Gone in that it has the chiming followed by some heavier riffs. The reason why it is not as good is the vocals. This time around rather than having a power to them, they end up sounding a little bit whiny. Similar to the ‘ballad’ songs that punk bands come up with sometimes. Which is fine if you like that sort of thing, and it is a decent song, it just doesn’t quite work as Placebo track and feels like a step backwards in a way. Fine for the casual listener though.

13. Kings Of Medicine (2/5)

Not a good ending. Once again this is a little odd. There’s a very simple backing track with a mix of electric sounds and standard, simple riffs, but with a much more prominent vocal set. However, the vocals are not ambitious, and it just sounds like talking. The song is once again somewhat mellow, but with the lack of effort in the backing track it just sounds like a monologue with guitar riffs and piano notes in the background. It’s not absolutely terrible, but isn’t really that good either.

CONCLUSION

This album represents, in my opinion, the most significant step yet in terms of Placebo trying to vary their style and come up with something original. Parts of the album also sound like a push towards the mainstream. However, for me the album as a whole just doesn’t really work. There are some good tracks on here, and certainly those who approach rock with something of an open mind can and will find a lot of entertainment. But traditional rock fans will be turned off by the variety, and Placebo fans may feel that the band has drifted too far.

However, despite the album not flowing well as a whole, that doesn’t mean that the collection of songs isn’t worth a purchase. Individually there is enough quality here to warrant a purchase. I’d probably recommend it for those who have an open mind when it comes to the genre, and it would make a good present for someone who is a rock fan but looking for something a little bit different. Just don’t expect to be blown away, and don’t expect something that stays in a consistent style.