Androgynous rockers, Placebo return with a handfull of sizzling leads, angstful energy and emotional ballads on their new album. The GAP ad looking cover art contains a shirt-less blue jean wearing man, embracing a Adobe Photoshoped ghost of a voluptuous naked woman with an exposed breast and bare ass. This does not quite sum up the heavy driven thump of their fourth album 'Sleeping With Ghosts,' released on Astralwerks.
The album immediately explodes with sonic fury of instrumental 'Bulletproof Cupid' which has an eerie Deftones feel. The fire-fueled opener ignites with heavy guitars and expeditious drumming.
Front man Brian Molko starts belting his angry Petshop Boy fury on 'English Summer Rain' as he's breaths 'I'm in the Basement your in the sky I'm in the basement drop on by'cradled with harmonic guitar bursts paired with a solid bass line and intricate drums meshed with electronic sequenced clicks and bleeps.
The spokenword of the album single 'This Picture' starts with a snappy beat and easy gliding melodies, as we hear remoniscent tail of an Ashtray girl, who seemed to have burn a hole in Molko's chest, as he reffers to his past lover as a 'forbidden snowflake.'
The gentle album titled track 'Sleeping With Ghosts,' slows things down a bit, painting a dreamy lullaby, as urgent 'The Bitter End” takes it back up with Clash-esque guitars and stream leads us on a roller-coaster of a ride with needling guitar leads and an abrupt ending.
Placebo take a new sound on 'Something Rotten' with it's dub bass hook and clinking noise, drum percussion, and inaudible ranting of 'There's Something Rotten in Here' and calm backing vocals and strange key sounds glittering about.
'Plasticine' rages with the Placebo fury as the tribal orchestral driven ballad 'I'll Be Yours' takes flight with beautiful strings arrangements and tasteful guitar melodies. 'Second Sight' rocks it up, as 'Protect Me From What I Want' is piano based rocker, of failed corporate love.
Placebo closes the album one track short of thirteen with the sparse piano ballad 'Centerfolds.' 'Sleeping With Ghosts,' is Molko's tail of carrying the ghosts of past relationships. Jim Abiss whom worked with The Music, UNKLE, and DJ Shadow produced this dropping of the baggage. So to wrap things up . . .A friend in needs a friend indeed, but a friend with weed is better. Smoke a splif keep to the rocking ones and take these pills and call me in the morning. |