•
Rating: Do you still remember the last Placebo album, the slightly mediocre one compared to the previous ones? It was "Meds," which besides the disappointment from the slap by Molko and company, had printed next to the title track (the only track of the album I remember fondly, besides the first single "Song To Say Goodbye" and the electronic "Space Monkey") the note ‘feat VV from The Kills'... Exactly, at the time I didn't yet know who they were, but I went to investigate as I should. It was 2006...
Two years later, The Kills churned out "Midnight Boom," rightfully gluing themselves to the podium of my mental, but above all, emotional hitlist. We are all aware that The Kills are not the ones producing masterpieces, that duty belongs to bands so complex in their careful and meticulous search for sounds never heard-that make an impact-but not too much (to avoid falling into commercialism) and in their hallucinated and inspired verses. Well, I leave these things to refined listeners, to the snobby ear of music experts... In my headphones, I prefer to blast "Midnight Boom."
The album opens with the lead single "U.R.A. Fever," in which the voices of Mosshart and Hince blend in a sensual and relentless crescendo. But, contrary to what usually happens in typical albums, to follow, the upbeat rhythm doesn't hint at dying down, in fact... The second track is the surprisingly dance "Cheep And Cheerful," a sort of easy and immediate nursery rhyme, as will be in the continuation of the album "Hook And Line" and "Alphabet Pony," even if not dancefloor-like as the former. There are only two more distinctly melodic episodes: "Black Balloon" and the closing "Goodnight Bad Morning." Intentionally, I mention at the end the track number 5: "Last Day Of Magic." This is, in my opinion, the best song on the album: delightful sound, captivating verses and meter, and Allison's voice (with Jamie's successfully lending an insert in the background) that can't leave you indifferent, with its smoothness and aggression at the same time.
In conclusion, it’s an album that more than becoming memorable in history and spawning generations of followers, at least has the merit of being enjoyable, engaging, never cloying. The rating would be a 3.5, which I am raising officially to 4, because it must be worth something that I can't stop listening to it….
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Cheap and Cheerful (02:26)
I'm bored of cheap and cheerful
I want expensive sadness
Hospital bills, parole
Open doors to madness
I want you to be crazy
'Cause you're boring baby when you're straight
I want you to be crazy
'Cause you're stupid baby when you're sane
I'm sick of social crazes
Show your sharp tipped teeth
Lose your cool in public
Did the legal meet
'Cause love is just a dialogue
You can't survive on ice-cream
You got the same needs as a dog
It's alright (it's alright)
To be mean (to be me)
It's alright (it's alright)
To be mean (to be me)
I want you to be crazy
'Cause you're boring baby when you're straight
I want you to be crazy
'Cause you're stupid baby when you're sane
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By Doherty
"U.R.A. FEVER... engages from the very first listen with its aggressive and sexy atmosphere."
"This album rightly places itself among the ultra-positive notes of this somewhat unsatisfying musical period for English speakers."
