While Placebo's self-titled debut contained mostly elements of '90s alternative (Smashing Pumpkins, etc.), their second album, Without You I'm Nothing, is full of '70s glam rock and punk references. Placebo's rhythm section of Stefan Olsdal (bass) and Steve Hewitt (drums) is impressively tight, but the band's star attraction is undoubtedly androgynous singer/guitarist Brian Molko. Whereas the debut was written solely by Molko, their latest is a bona fide group effort, with Molko still handling the lyric-writing. The swirling anthemic album opener, "Pure Morning," is a self-proclaimed "celebration of friendship with women," and should be a guaranteed hit single, while the racing "Brick Shithouse" merges '90s electro-rock with Sonic Youth punk guitars. "You Don't Care About Us" shows that Molko can easily re-create J Mascis' late-'80s guitar tones, and "Scared of Girls" contains gender-bending vocals from Molko and a tribal-rock accompaniment.
After ten years together, eight of those spent on the U.K. charts, Placebo exhume their past with Once More With Feeling: Singles 1996-2004. This 19-song collection includes all of their biggest hits, most notably "Nancy Boy" and "Pure Morning." It's also a look back on Placebo's conscious effort to maintain a campy, glam rock-influenced rock sound. Placebo achieved great success in their native U.K. (and at a college radio level in the U.S.) at the height of both grunge in the mid-'90s and the teen pop/emo excursions just as the new millennium got underway. As much as frontman Brian Molko's sexuality was called into question and the band's exterior appearance was a topic of conversation among the U.K. music press, Molko's androgynous appeal was equally intriguing as his gender-bending presence as a singer, so style and substance worked in favor of Placebo's place in music. Was he the pop Generation's new David Bowie? No, but he yearned to attract fans much like Bowie did during the 1970s. Molko's pixie-like peculiarity only added to Placebo's star power, so Naturally the timing of Once More With Feeling is a nice fit in the Placebo discography. It's arrangement is out of order; however, all the singles released from their 1996 self-titled debut to the fierce neo-glam statement that is 2003's Sleeping With Ghosts sound as great as they ever did. What's nice is how the select tracks from Black Market Music -- "Taste in Men," "Special K," "Slave to the Wage" -- age better simply because Placebo has aged well. The direction of Sleeping With Ghosts does the same, holding promise for what's yet to come from Placebo; just check out "The Bitter End." For a fan who has already bought every Placebo single, Once More With Feeling is only necessary for collecting purposes. For those who haven't, this singles collection is a great place to start.
Debut albums don't come much more auspicious. Placebo's eponymous opener has all the hallmarks of a band destined for stardom - a style that successfully crosses the post-punk, indie and grunge genres, intelligent writing and one of the most marketable and enigmatic singers of his generation. And whilst the Placebo sound isn't yet fully developed, there is plenty for the listener to marvel at, as the androgynous Molko quickly hooks you into his own particular brand of tortured and twisted melancholy. Teenage Angst, 36 Degrees, Nancy Boy and Bruise Pristine were all destined to become singles and whilst the other tracks are not as punchy, they are equally deserved of a place here and give early notice of the band's impressive repertoire and range of ambition