Blasting onto the scene after eight months suspended in uncertainty, sombre glam punkers Placebo return, complete with revamped vibrations in tow. Battle for the Sun bursts with fruitful offerings of pop fetish, announcing an upbeat diversion from their typically sulky sound. After splitting from the band in 2007, drummer Steven Hewitt was replaced by 22-year-old Steve Forrest, whose green youth and untainted enthusiasm has managed to inject (just a little) bit of disco-ball delight into their sound.
The title track lopes lazily along with mandatory doses of bitter contempt and cyclical lyrics. Despite droning on, the melody seeps infectiously under the skin, culminating into a full-blown epic with soaring vocals, strings and violent drumming. For What it’s Worth stands out as a distinct migration from their staple of grudge-bearing misanthropy, lathering on generous amounts of smuggled brass and romp-worthy hooks; making the Par-tay¬ playlist on your ipod passable territory for the usual buzz-kill bandits.
Kitty Litter commences as a pulsating metal tune like any other Placebo track; yet changes course to become positively boppy, along with preppy hand-clapping and animated backing cheers; elements the old Placebo would’ve paled at the mention of.
Battle for the Sun announces a positively chirpy route the traditionally tenebrous trio have chosen. Die-hard Placebites may despair they’ve gone soft for a more radio-friendly audience, but it’s only natural for long-standing bands to want to branch out. After thirteen years of colouring inside the lines of their gloomy laments, they finally took the cue to lighten-up.
