Placebo
Battle For The Sun

"We made a record that talks about life choices, about choosing to live, to come out of the darkness and head towards the light. This doesn’t necessarily mean forgetting the dark, also because the dark exists, it’s there, it’s essential, it’s part of who we are, but choosing to stand on the sunny side of life. I am very optimistic about the future, I am in a positive moment for my mind, what I see is exciting."

You hear such words often, before the release of a new album by any band. Trust me, though: Brian Molko, leader of Placebo, has never been this sincere. "Battle For The Sun," the new work that comes three years after the almost entirely disappointing "Meds," is a breath of fresh air for the British band. Novelty is the keyword, both in the lineup (the young Californian Steve Forrest, former Evaline, replaces drummer Steve Hewitt) and at the production table, where Dave Bottrill sits this time (appreciated by Placebo for his work with Tool, but also in the past alongside dEUS, Muse, Silverchair, King Crimson, and many others). New also is the label (PIAS).

Voices before the album's release talked about a return to the sounds of the acclaimed "Without You I'm Nothing," rumors reinforced by the choice to precede the album with a tightly direct single like "For What It's Worth". The previews proved to be partly accurate: it's true that the sound of the "new" Placebo decisively distances itself from certain soft and faded tones of the previous work (there are no tracks like "In The Cold Light Of Morning", so to speak), but, unlike the second album of the British trio, here there's a sense of cohesion and compactness that has been missing for so long in a "Molko team" album. At the same time, however, the huge singles that made that album's fortune are lacking ("Pure Morning", "You Don't Care About Us" and "Every You Every Me" above all), but this is not necessarily a bad thing, on the contrary.

The new work opens with "Kitty Litter", a track, according to Molko, that remained in limbo for over a decade: it is perhaps the heaviest opening ever displayed by Placebo, the guitar roars pleasurefully and the new drummer delivers a nice rhythm with a heavy and cumbersome drive. "Ashtray Heart" is perhaps the most commercial and "Molko-like" track of the album, the Spanish choruses only increase its charm, but overall it is definitely appreciable. Follows the title track, a rock piece that's flaming and full-bodied, among the best episodes of the entire album.

The whole work oscillates between heavily pulled pieces rich in finally inspired melodies, among which "The Never-Ending Why" (potential new classic for the band) and a rhythmical "Breathe Underwater" definitely stand out. There are few reflective moments, reduced to "Happy You're Gone" (which though, after a subdued start, gains some vigor) and "Come Undone". Worth mentioning is the beautiful closing "Kings Of Medicine", an appreciable moment of simple crystalline pop rock.

A nice comeback for Mr. Molko and company. Certainly, Placebo still don't dare as much as they could (and should), but at least they're back on track.

Welcome back, guys.