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(. That Marilyn Manson's gone to seed, innee...)

I tell you what I'd like to hear; I'd like to hear Brian Molko from Placebo break away from the limitations of the classic dark rock vocabulary and throw some new cool words and phrases into his songs.

Everyone who wants to put a moody spin on rock music - hi Editors, wave to White Lies for me! - goes to the same page of the Big Lexicon of Careworn Dramatic Expression and pulls out "disease" and "cavity" and "lover" and "God" and "rising tide" and "I'm on fire" and "end of the century" and "sucked me dry" and "aim to please" and "no-one cares" and "out on the street" and "lay with me" and "down in the gutter" and "picking up the pieces".

Seriously, EVERYONE does it. All it takes is a quick shuffle in some gothy version of Boggle (with words instead of letters) and you've got yourself a song. The video is covered in them too, from "toxic asset" to "silenced gun" to "the man who fell to earth".

It's a shame because when Placebo get it right - gonna have to hark back to the STILL AMAZING 'Nancy Boy' for the best evidence - they're a geniunely disturbing proposition, a flirty monolith, a juggernaut in eyeliner. But there are clearly only so many ways you can say "gritty underside of society" or "outsiders on the edge" without lapsing into self-parody.

On the other hand, he does sing "I'd tear the sun in three to light up your eyes", which is brilliant.

Easily pleased, me.

Download: Out now
CD Released: June 1st

´óÏó´«Ã½ Music page

(Fraser McAlpine)

"More elegantly strident riffage which doesn't really go anywhere."

"'For What It's Worth' raises our hopes considerably at the prospect of new Placebo material."

"He has one of those awful voices that always sounds like it's doing an impression of itself.."