Placebo were never the most grown up of bands. A duo essentially, although they did tour as a band. Epitomised absolutely by the almost stateless Brian Molko, (he lived almost everywhere growing up and could probably be best described as Trans-European). The other members of the group might as well not have been there except they were there to flesh out the numbers onstage, they were support, pure and simple, Brian's droogs. Like the members of Tubeway Army who weren't Gary Numan.
Listening back to their first incarnation's finest moments, Pure Morning, Every You Every Me, The Bitter End and so on, they weren't at all bad, so long as you didn't take the essential artifice of their projection. The neutotic, teenage, suicidal, asexual, black fingernails and pout. They had a good sound. Glacial, glossy and cool. Ideal for sixteen year olds. Vaguely Gothy, vaguely Punky, vaguely Grungs, always angsty and dark. But fun. Come downstairs Brian, your supper's, on the table, but don't bring the snake and put your top on.
This is not to dismiss the relevance of bands and sounds like these. Molko had his mental health issues and songs like theirs can save lives. And, if their image was always somewhat contrived they at least had some good songs. More than most of their immediate competition. New album Never Let Me Go their first for almost ten years, has some good songs on it too. Nothing as good as Pure Morning perhaps but nothing to shame their legacy. Placebo have not chosen to age at all. They are still posey attitude, teenage anguish.
I enjoyed listening to the new record. Though it's not a necessary one, except for original fans who are keen to relive their leathered youth. I wasn't one of those so won't listen to it again. Nor will it make it to my end of year lists. But if you're still open to illicit Gothic thrill, this might be for you. Placebo were always good at it and still are.
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