Without Brian Molko, for better or worse, Placebo would be nothing. Once the 90s answer to the androgyny of new wave, it's probably safe to say that Molko is now more notable for his make-up than his music. This is especially true when one considers that there is no other reasonable explanation for his band's continued existence after 2001's absolutely abominable "Black Market Music," a failed attempt at recapturing the fractional U.S success of 98's "Pure Morning."
"Music" was useful, however, for showcasing one fact: the amount of make-up Molko wore seemed to directly correspond to how good the band was. Molko has toned down his cosmetic regimen as the years have progressed. Recently he has limited himself to paltry lip gloss and minimal eye make-up, and thus far the music has gotten worse and worse with every dollar he eliminated from his cosmetics budget.
Mercifully for the band, their newest release, "Sleeping with Ghosts," ushers in a relative end to this trend, arguably because of its movement away from attempts to incorporate early 90s goth synth well before it had any whimsical value, and undeniably because after hitting rock bottom and continuing to dig with "Music," there was no where to go but up.
And yet, the make-up theory is not entirely misguided. Let's look at what Molko has maintained in "Ghosts:" foundation, eye make-up and lip gloss.
The foundation of the Placebo album has not changed in over seven years of existence. The core of the music has been electronic-tinged rock, but it has been both overshadowed by Molko's shrill, sometimes feminine voice and completely dominated by one edgy, bizarre corporeal theme after another. This is not to be mistaken for progressiveness; Placebo frequently chooses to frolic in the land of sexual freedom and fetish that is neither stimulating nor ironic.
Thankfully, "Ghosts" takes a much more subtle approach, but at the expense of creativity. Without the pervasive discussion of sex, the album is reduced to talk of identity, mortality and politics -- certainly not groundbreaking themes, and even worse, themes that no one in the band actually seems to fully grasp. Take this innovative lyric, for instance: "Damn the government / Damn their killing / Damn their lies." It is not coincidental that the strongest track on the album, "Bulletproof Cupid," is an instrumental.
Nevertheless, the base of the music, like the foundation that gives Molko his flawlessly pale complexion, is solid enough to build on. Enter the shadow -- in the case of Molko, eye shadow -- to endeavor to lock the band into the neo-goth category of which they so desperately want to be a member. Some tracks reek of Bauhaus influence, others of the early work of the Cure and all give a crushing impression that the band is operating a little too far out of their comfort zone. Again, this is nothing new for Placebo.
What continues to work for the band is the gloss. All tracks, especially the first single, "This Picture," are polished off with a radio-friendly veneer, one that is not nearly as contrived as the band's focus on image might imply. "Special Needs" virtually sparkles with careful layering that almost -- but not quite -- masks its lyrical redundancy, imprecise rhymes (screened and dreamed?), and tragic use of the phrase "I guess I thought you had the flavour." Again disregarding the lyrical shortcomings, the shine of "This Picture" is as addicting as any effectively pop-infused production, following trend in its timely use of 80s synth embellishments.
Sadly, the lyrics can only be ignored for so long. For a band so reliant on the sum of their musical influences, it might seem intuitive that the band would personalize their sound with at least a passable level of poetry in the words. Instead, we encounter example #2 of a band in desperate need of a remedial song writing class: "I refuse to let you die / 'Cause it's wrong / And I've been waiting far too long / For you to be / Be mine." It must be noted that the fact that "wrong" and "long" actually rhyme, however, is an accomplishment.
But in the end it comes down to aesthetics -- "Ghost" is generally pretty enough to listen to, but underneath it all there isn't much to look at. Like its name suggests, Placebo may have the appearance and many of the characteristics of a band with a contribution to make, but the actual effect? Nil.
Grade: 1 star
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