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Placebo release Bright Lights on 8 February on Dreambrother Ltd.
The now veteran goth-indie-pop pushers, Placebo seem to have settled into a grinding rhythmic groove that centres on Brian Molko’s rising, slightly croaky cry.
This sojourn sticks rigidly to this formula, harnessing the bounding toe tapping percussion of Steve Hewitt. The odd oxymoron is chucked around playfully by Molko, as the lyrics retain a dark slant, but lose a little of their edge due to the familiarity of Placebo’s approach.
‘Bright Lights’, is certainly a single that will tighten Placebo’s stranglehold on mainstream appeal. Although, it will leave those who remember their uncompromising eccentricity and obliqueness of old looking further and further into the past.
Rating: 3/5