Album Review

Placebo – The Never-Ending Why

• 24th Aug 2009

Veteran indie-goth-pop pushers, Placebo have always been notorious to the point of refreshing at live gigs and, in general, by focusing solely on their latest material and direction, often allowing only token forages into their past material.

As a result, Brian Molko and crew as well as their ever growing fan-base, at times, almost look back disdainfully on their past material that brought this reflectively adventurous act into mainstream recognition.

It may surprise you then, to learn that ‘The Never-Ending Why’, is a pinging groove riding, mystical nod back to their hazy ‘Black Market Music’ days. The robust rhythm is controlled with adroitness and pulsation bassist by Stefan Olsdal, allowing the elastic voiced Brian Molko to glide his voice over the adventuring accompaniment. Like a vulture, as he picks at life’s imponderables.

Placebo continues to merge a serious edge with soaring catchiness and, more than a sprinkling of genuine belief in what they are saying or doubting. Their following certainly won’t dwindle with this sauntering and reflective single from their searching, pop parading recent album, ‘Battle For The Sun’.