Placebo
Meds
Label: Astralwerks / Virgin

Less glam, less electronic noise, more guitar and more vulnerability. That’s the formula for Placebo’s latest, Meds. And it actually peeved off a lot of fans looking for a sequel to the Sleeping with Ghosts double CD and remixes.

But we like it. And here’s why: you’ve got the expected full-frontal assault on “Infra-Red” and “One of a Kind,” but also the uncomfortable ballad, “Space Monkey” that bares the delicate underbelly we didn’t think existed back when everyone was calling them the glam Nirvana. We also love the addition of The Kills’ Alison Mosshart on background vocals.

With Meds the group continues their experimental approach to punk pop neo glam with a continued penchant for the dramatic.

Meds was released on Astralwerks earlier this year, but Placebo just signed a deal with Virgin to do a huge push in the U.S. You better stock up, because believe it or not, we actually know a couple folks who’ve been off their meds with terrible results.