Placebo - Meds

Genre rock Publisher Astralwerks External Links Official Placebo Website Official Astralwerks Website

Placebo singer Brian Molko sings an awful lot about pills. In fact, he's positively obsessed with drugs as well as sex. I supposed pills are easier to take and perhaps socially more acceptable than most forms of drugs. I'd rather be a pill popper and be like Molko and keep up with the joneses rather than being smacked out of my gills like Pete Doherty. There's something inherently upper-crust about taking pills recreationally, even more so than imbibing on alcohol.

The connection to cleanliness coincides with Placebo's music as well. There's a distinctly precise nature to the tunes on Placebo's latest, Meds. Molko sings in this simple, slightly androgynous manner that suits the surgical cutting of the band's music. Credit producer Dimitri Tikovoi (Cranes, Goldfrapp) in part for keeping what appears to be a tight reign on the trio. Sure, it's a few songs too long, but overall Placebo wield considerable power.

But the album's never much better than it is on its first few tracks. "Drag" is a cool propulsive number with a pop vibe. "Meds" is haunting and cold, while "Infra-Red" is virile, menacing number. But then the band start sounding like a Marilyn Manson cover band on "Space Monkey," what with its industrial beat, fuzzed-out vocals that at least breaks after a bit to include a strong, unprocessed vocal by Molko.

Other than a few missteps, Placebo's Meds is as strong a record as the band has made to date. But they've yet to make that one great album and that's reason enough to keep an eye on the band.