Placebo - Battle for theSun

Fri 19th Jun, 2009 in Music Reviews

Three years ago, when Placebo ticked off a decade-long career that saw them release five studio albums and achieve record sales in the millions across the world, you got the sense that the band may have been losing steam. Their last effort, 2006’s relatively lacklustre Meds, showed signs of a band whose peak may have passed, something which was reinforced by the departure of long-time drummer Steve Hewitt.

Placebo’s (lucky) 13th year marks a pivotal point in the band’s career. Seemingly rejuvenated by the recent addition to the line-up, 22-year-old drummer Steve Forrest, and their decision to forego the major labels, self-fund the album and distribute it through smaller avenues, there’s definitely a renewed vigour and a sense of optimism running through the Placebo camp. This positivity is felt in their newest songs, some of which are some of the most grabbing tracks the band have produced since Black Market Music.

The tracks on Battle for the Sun tread territory that will be familiar to Placebo listeners: melodic and distorted riffs, catchy choruses, a dark-rock tinge and of course, the distinctive nasal vocals of singer and guitarist Brian Molko. Producer David Bottrill (Tool, Muse) has helped shaped the album into a cohesive and well-crafted release, which features enough sing-along phrases and punchy rhythms to ensure that these songs will translate well live. The album’s first single For What It’s Worth (which is confusingly intersected by what sounds like the Tetris theme song about two minutes in) has stadium-rock anthem written all over it, as does the upbeat Ashtray Heart, the electro-pop infused Julien, and the choppy and melodic title track.

Molko’s claim that the album is “a record about choosing life … about stepping out of the darkness and into the light” is most heavily reflected in the lyrics. Ushering in both the album and possibly the band’s new attitude is Kitty Litter, where he defiantly and repeatedly declares, “I need a change of skin”. In Speak in Tongues, the heartfelt “We can build a new tomorrow, today” brims with positivity and optimism. But when you hear Molko wail, “A heart that hurts, is a heart that works” (an homage to Juliana Hatfield’s Universal Heartbeat perhaps?) you realise that they haven’t set out to replace the slightly bitter, darker sentiments – they’ve just adopted a more mature outlook.

Concise and cohesive, Battle for the Sun is a convincing release that proves they are far from losing momentum after all. In Brian Molko’s own words: “There’s life in the old dog yet.”

Battle for the Sun is out now on Shock Records.