Placebo - Battle For The Sun
By Nick Manteris · 0 Comments · Leave a Comment
Battle for the Sun is the sixth studio album from the British band Placebo. Their musical style between albums is quite varied, but lead singer Brian Molko has a very distinctive voice that makes them immediately recognizable. The band has Platinum and Gold certifications in France, Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe as a whole, but they haven’t really connected in any meaningful way with an American audience…though they did reach #18 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart with 2003’s Sleeping with Ghosts.
“Kitty Litter” sets up the baseline for the album, but then they fall below that threshold with the disappointing “Ashtray Heart,” a song named after the original moniker that the band used. “Battle for the Sun” makes up for this slip by swinging the same amount in a positive direction and then the next two songs drop back to the baseline. The only other misstep on the album is “Bright Lights,” followed by the two best songs, “The Never-Ending Why” and “Julien.” Everything else remains at a “Kitty Litter” level.
- Score
- 69%
Battle for the Sun is just as good as the preceding album, Meds, but it doesn’t quite compare with either of their best works: Without You I’m Nothing and Sleeping with Ghosts. And if you’ve never encountered Placebo then those albums are the best introduction to the band.
