Placebo
Black Market Music
(Virgin)
By: Jeff Leisawitz - ModernRock.com
Placebo, the pan-European gothrock trio, use sonic thunder clouds and mystery to propel their music to other worlds. Maybe it's the cultural mix of players (these guys have done time in Sweden, the UK and Luxembourg), or maybe it's the pensive singularity of singer Brian Molko's voice. Whatever the magic ingredients, Placebo catch and stir the waves of their music unlike any other band on the planet.
On the group's 2001 release, Black Market Music, Molko and the boys conjure up twelve songs (including two bonus tracks) that reel and spin like a dizzy hurricane in the back room of a seedy strip club.
From the start, Placebo play with the notion of sexual identity. On "Days Before You Came" Molko spits, "It always seemed enticing to be naked and profane.../ Baby's looking torn and frayed/ Join the masquerade."
These tracks generally sweat and rock with dynamic steel reinforced distortion and processed beats. But there are exceptions. "Passive Aggressive" steps back, if only for a moment. And "Blue American" drops the noise in favor of atmosphere and ambiance.
Placebo have long been fans of the original androgynous rock star, David Bowie. The Thin White Duke himself offers his voice to the stunning duet, "Without You I'm Nothing." This new version of the band's previously recorded song is certainly one of the album's best, tucked away at the tail end of the record where only the patient will discover this true gem.
As a follow up to the worldwide hit single, "Pure Morning," Placebo secure their place as a charismatic and captivating force on the new music scene. Black Market Music is sure to seduce fans into their world. A place of music, magic, sex and mystery.
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