Sleeping with Ghosts is the fourth album from what some people have called Brittans glam version of Nirvana, Placebo. It pushed in a different direction to previous albums using more electronics and ambient sounds. It's also unfortunetely the weakest Placebo album. It's not a bad it's just they've produced so much better and there are very few standout songs on this album. Lets take a look.
Bulletproof Cupid - Oh what a promising start to an album. It's an instrumental track but listning to it you think wow this album is going to be awesome if it's like this. It's a fast track and one that will keep you listning. Doesn't get boring and keeps varying.
English Summer Rain - The first real track on the album. It's decent but nothing exceptional. The lyrics are very repititive which is unfortunate. The elements of electronica Placebo experiment with on this album are very apparent here. A decent song but yet nothing special.
This Picture - A monolouge opens a song here but it ends quite differently to how it starts. It's a more melodic song and one of the better ones on the album. It was the second single off this album. The lyrics here are quite good and it has a good chorus. One of the albums best songs.
Sleeping With Ghosts - This is a very pretty song. It opens with aucostic guitar and a small electronic riff over on top. The vocals come in and Brain sings very well and the lyrics are very good. The chorus eventually kicks in and wow, it really overwhelms you. One of best Placebo songs on the album.
The Bitter End - This was the first single from the album and after hearing it I was so pumped for this album. It's a song that could have fitted on Without You I'm Nothing. The song opens up with a few guitar chords before the drums kick in then the bass. The lyrics are Placebo at their best and the song is great. It has a spooky sound to it almost and the final chorus really explodes. The best song the album without a doubt.
Something Rotten - This is the most experimental Placebo song yet. You will ever like it or hate it. I somewhat like it but it took a long time for me to get used to it. At first it sounds out of place. It's very electronicly influenced. The lyrics are pretty bland and it's quite repititive.
Plasticine - This song picks up the pace a bit after Something Rotten. It talks about plastic surgery and peoples desire to change their apperance. It's an allright song and it's well written lyrically. The chorus is a bit bland though and it ends up as another allright song.
Special Needs - The song opens up with a clean guitar riff before Brian enters with his vocals. Take a read into the lyrics. They are probably some of the best on the album. The song is allright and the chorus is quite nice. It turns up as a good song.
I'll Be Yours - Now we slow the pace right down for this song. It's like alot of the rest of the album bland. Nothing here stands out and makes it a memorable song. It's just something which drags along. It feels like there should be a climax somewhere in the song but it never comes leaving the listner bored.
Second Sight - This is a bit like Plasticine. Picks up the pace, well written lyrically but then it just doesn't have an X factor. The chorus here is a good part of the song though but the lack of X factor ends the song up as bland.
Protect Me from What I Want - This is a bit of a reedeming song at the end of the album. It's a nice song and very well written. The lyrics in the verses are great and though the chorus is repititive it's a strong chorus and an emotional song. Good song.
Centrefolds - Here's a song about beauty lost. It's a ballad a bit like Blue American off Black Market Music. It's a song which like Something Rotten will be one you like or one you don't. I quite enjoy it and it's a good reflection of the mood of the album. A decent song.
So overall what could've been a great album comes out as a bit of a flop. It's not bad it's just it lacks the beauty that Placebo once had in their music. It's not an album you will put on every few months and remember how great it is. It's an album for the hardcore Placebo fan and maybe some other Alt-Rock fans. If your new to Placebo don't buy this album go for Without You I'm Nothing.
Rating: 2.75/5 :confused:
