1. Taste in men

2. Days before you came

3. Special K

4. Spite & malice

5. Passive aggessive

6. Black-eyed

7. Blue american

8. Slave to the wage

9. Commercial for Levi

10. Haemoglobin

11. Narcoleptic

12. Peeping Tom

 

Forget the crumpled post-coital comedown of Without You I'm Nothing. Placebo's third album, Black Market Music, sees the London trio with a predilection for debauched hedonism back at the top of their form. Molko has wised up, realised that there's more to life than hedonism--and no, it doesn't mean he should have to give up all his fun. He's discovered limitations (see the harder, groove-based single "Taste In Men" and the truly chilling "Commercial For Levi" where he states "I understand the fascination/I've even been there one or twice" before going on to add "please don't die"). One indication of Placebo's re-birth is the storming collaboration with psychedelic US rapper Justin Warfield "Spite & Malice" which rocks harder than a thousand "Brick Shithouse"s. There are songs like the profane New Order-esque "Special K" with its female pop harmonies, and meaty bass courtesy of supreme queen Stefan, where Placebo sound even more spiteful and resonant than before. The more contemplative "Passive/Aggressive" brings the pace down a little, before the dance-orientated "Black-Eyed" ends everything soaring into the stratosphere once more. Black Market Music could well turn out to be Placebo's finest moment. --Jerry Thackray

 

PLACEBO Black Market Music (Deleted UK 12-track CD featuring the third album from the US alternative rockers. Includes the singles Taste In Men Special K and Slave To The Wage which begins with a sample from Pavements Texas Never Whispers. Includes a picture sleeve lyric booklet CDFLOORX13)