PLACEBO
- Sleeping With Ghosts
From the eruption of the opening instrumental, you know who's playing.
The thing about Placebo
(besides the powerfully fragile trademark tonsils of frontperson Brian
Molko) is their compelling utilisation of the basic three piece unit of
bass, drums & guitar. The straight forward but infectious songs they still
manage to produce, still come out as moving, fresh and highly listeneable
alternative pop-rock effervescence with bite. The electronic additions
don't take away from the rudimental impact. Their dark sense still lingers
regardless of their growing up another album. That sense of androgyny/bisexuality,
life- and love-lust entwined in modern times still lurks beneath the skin,
frothing to burst through. Where Placebo
could so easily have faded after their first two impressive turns, they
seem here to stay.
This great album comes in a special edition containing an extra disc with
cover versions done Placebo's
way. It includes a passionate version of Kate
Bush's
Running Up That Hill and a less impressive rendition of The
Pixies'
unparalleled Where Is My Mind. The great cover they did of Marc
Bolan's
20th Century Boy for the Velvet
Goldmine
soundtrack is included. Depeche
Mode
gets a nod, as does Sinead
O'Connor and
Serge
Gainsbourg.
But, the killer, thriller and most sumptuous of the 10 track batch is
the brilliant reinterpretation of Boney
M's
Daddy Cool.
5 / B
- PB
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