Placebo – 'Meds' (Virgin) Released 13/03/06

 

First single from the album ‘Because I Want You’ is an impassioned plea to not give up on love as it strips down the studio synthetics and goes back to true rock’n’roll fundamentals as the soaring guitar melodies and powerful tempo intensify the craving for love. Tracks ‘Blind’ and ‘Drag’ build parallel dimensions with fragile notions of dependence as Brian Molko sings on ‘Blind’ “Don’t go and leave me, and please don’t drive me blind”.

 

Fierce acoustic strumming and a possessive drum beat on opening track ‘Meds’, which features the vocals of Alison Mosshart (aka VV from The Kills) as Brian tells the tale of freaking out because of forgetting to take medication. A theme which is taken to a darker level on ‘In The Cold Light Of Morning’ as the reliance and desperation for drugs is described by the blear eyed shame of the bathroom mirror in a narcotic comedown. Michael Stipe (the guru of REM) also features on the album as ‘Broken Promise’ delivers a volatile interpretation of falling into a sense of naivety resulting in the paranoia of mistrust and the strive for revenge.

 

‘Meds’ is however as strangely warming as it is unnerving as tracks ‘Space Monkey’ and ‘Follow The Cops Back Home’ are mysteriously haunting, yet provide an emotional passion and ballad-esque sense of longing to an album that poises power and angst with fragile insecurity. Unnervingly beautiful.