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Written by Alex Wilking Wednesday, 06 November 2013 21:05

As the record carries on, it’s clear the band have made their departure into the mainstream.

 

 

 

When Placebo debuted their first album in 1996, it was a combination of alternative and glam-rock with an edge that gained it much popularity at the time. Six studio albums later, the band returns with Loud Like Love. Traces of the 90’s era band can scarcely be found in this release. As the record carries on, it’s clear the band have made their departure into the mainstream.

The album is consistent, but that consistency works against it. Every song drifts by without leaving much of an impression, leaving the listener with a bland taste to digest. The music just sounds processed and awkwardly put together.

The biggest stand-out of this album is the vocalist, whose high-pitched voice strays away from the norm of alternative rock singers. But his voice often sounds out of place on this record, whereas it fits great in the band’s previous works. The lyrics in this release only compliment that displacement. Tracks like “Rob the Bank” and “Too Many Friends” use such cheesy phrases to describe modern social problems that it was hard to take seriously.

The album finishes with a lackluster impression of a band that seems to have run out of ideas. Diehard fans will likely find a piece of the band they’ve loved here and there. But since Placebo has over 15 years invested in the music scene, I was expecting much more. C- | Alex Wilking

Standout tracks - Loud Like Love, Exit Wounds     

R.I.Y.L. - MGMT, The Hives