Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts - Appeared in Portfolio Oct 2003
Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts
[2003] Astrelwerks
The British trio of Stefan Olsdal, Steve Hewitt and gender-bending singer and guitarist Brian Molko make up Placebo. My 80’s-loving wife thought Sleeping With Ghosts sounded like the Pet Shop Boys but when I first heard their single “Special Needs,” I thought I was listening to the new REM. An informal poll that I’ve done confirms that Brian’s voice does indeed sound like Michael Stipe. Yes, an Englishman who sounds like Michael Stipe. Go Figure.
The first track, “English Summer Rain” starts out with a live drummer, followed by heavy synthesizer, and vocals. A few bars later, live bass kicks in. I hear a big English influence of the electronic music of Joy Division and New Order. Indeed, the album’s instrumentation centers around synthesizer, but the cool mix of live drums, bass and guitar gives it a rock feel. On some tracks, the synthesizer sounds like a type called a “Moog.” When this happens they start to sound like an Emo band, but a comparison to The Get Up Kids isn’t totally accurate either.
So, if you’re an 80’s fan looking for something new or an Emo kid interested in expanding your horizons, you’re going to dig Placebo. If you’re a hardcore REM fan who can’t wait until the October 28th release of their best-of album, maybe “Sleeping with Ghosts” will tide you over.