Placebo - Meds (2006)

"Meds" is the fifth studio, released in 2006 by Placebo, an alternative rock band formed in London in 1994.
"Because I Want You", was the first UK single from the album. The first single outside of the UK was "Song to Say Goodbye". Their success has been gradual in the sense that their style and sound have progressed naturally with each album. Meds builds upon that notion while also embarking on a new phase for Placebo. Meds is their second coming. Frontman Brian Molko is no longer the glam-chic, gender-bending firestarter he once was. His songs are still angry and twisted in self-reflection and social rejection. Meds doesn't contain the rush to experiment like their previous records do. It's as bare and honest as Placebo have ever been, thanks to French producer Dimitri Tikovoi's straightforward approach in getting the band to make a bona fide rock record. There's a fresh vulnerability here and a sense of danger, too; the album's title track quickly enters this sphere. It's an obsessive moment confronting the social hypnosis and dependence of medication. The Kills' Alison Mosshart lends an anxious vocal backdrop as Placebo deliver an aggressive guitar-driven assault. Meds doesn't stop for breath until its end. Fans should be pleased with the menacing "Infra-Red" and the sexy ensnaring of "One of a Kind," two tracks that showcase Placebo's signature fiery performance style. When they're not deconstructing social expectations, Placebo's storytelling is equally powerful on the more lilting tracks. The shifty slow burn of "Space Monkey" is an epic ballad for the band. Placebo step out of their skin here. A squall of fuzzed guitars, strings, and Molko's brooding vocals strike to knock down the celebrity pedestal that creates a false human image. "Broken Promise," a duet with Michael Stipe, takes similar shape as a dramatic tale of adultery unfolds into a dark, emotional storm. Letting go of toxic relationships on "Song to Say Goodbye," a melancholic closing to Meds, brings the album full circle.

Track List:
01. "Meds" (featuring Alison "VV" Mosshart) – 2:55
02. "Infra-Red" – 3:15
03. "Drag" – 3:21
04. "Space Monkey" – 3:51
05. "Follow the Cops Back Home" – 4:39
06. "Post Blue" – 3:11
07. "Because I Want You" – 3:22
08. "Blind" – 4:01
09. "Pierrot the Clown" – 4:22
10. "Broken Promise" (featuring Michael Stipe) – 4:20
11."One of a Kind" – 3:20
12. "In the Cold Light of Morning" – 3:52
13. "Song to Say Goodbye" – 3:36

Release Date: March 13, 2006
Recorded: December 2005 – January 2006 RAK Studios, London
Genre: Alternative Rock, Post-Punk Revival
Length: 48:22
Label: Virgin
Producer: Dimitri Tikovoi
Arranged By [Strings]: - Fiona Brice
Engineer: James Brown
Engineer [Assistant]: Dan Porter, Mark Neary, Raj Das, Richard Woodcraft, Rob Smith, Steve Mustarde
Mastered By: Tim Young
Mixed By: David Bascombe, Flood, James Brown
Producer: Dimitri Tikovoï
Written By: Placebo

Personnel:
Brian Molko – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica, saxophone (since 1994)
Stefan Olsdal – bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, piano, backing vocals (since 1994)
Steve Hewitt – drums, percussion (1994; 1996–2007)
Cello - Helen Rathbone, Ian Burge, Sarah Willson, Vicky Matthews
Viola - Emma Owens, Fiona Griffiths, Katherine Shave, Reiad Ceibah
Violin - Dave Williams, Deborah White, Ellie Stanford, Gita Langley, Jessie Murphy, Krista Caspersz, Lucy Wilkins, Natalia Bonner, Sarah Button, Tom Piggot-Smith