Placebo - Battle For The Sun

Rating: * * *

Verdict

:

Solid sixth album just needs more Special K.

As much as musicians play down the impact some tunes and a particular album - or albums - have on their career, it must be a daunting prospect staying in people's hearts and minds.

In the late 90s and early 2000s Placebo took their glam gothic rock to the masses with songs like

Every You, Every Me, You Don't Care About Us

, and the electrifying and often controversial,

Special K

. Since then they've been around, just not quite as predominant.

Still, following a small line-up change, sixth album

Battle For The Sun

sees singer/guitarist Brian Molko and his mates take a fair tilt at toppling the might and popularity of 1998's

Without You I'm Nothing

and 2000's

Black Market Music.

On

Ashtray Heart

, the gentle verses powered by epic, all-in choruses make it the catchiest tune they've written since

Every You, Every Me

; the jittery beats and rumbling groove of the title track is rebellious in a

Special K

way; and on a song like the dark, yet uplifting

Devil In the Details

you can't help but think The Killers owe more than just a tipping of their hats to Placebo.

But it all starts sounding a little formulaic - until

Julien

, with its subtle oonst alongside Molko's deep seductive whispers, and the loping rock ballad

Come Undone.

More variation needed.

- Scott Kara