Nice to see PLACEBO sounding so optimistic, so positive, so freshly-(re)charged, so full of Life. Not that they ever put out a bad record mind….but it’s been a while since they sounded this…erm…vigorous and vibrant. If even those arch-Placebo haters, the NME, couldn’t bring themselves to slag 'BATTLE FOR THE SUN' off entirely, then it must be one hell of an album! The songs possess a fine balance between melody, the classic Placebo sound and some fine and subtle sprinklings of strings, horns and the odd bit of electronica. New drummer Steve Forrest is most definitely an asset, while David Bottrill’s (Tool, Muse, dEUS) production ensures the album sounds big, solid and with a distinctly sharp edge to it. People forget what an inventive guitar player Brian Molko is. Yes, he’s grown his hair back and his nasal vocal delivery is as perfect as ever, but the guitar melodies on 'BATTLE FOR THE SUN' are a revelation. This album also contains one of the most personal songs he’s ever written and one would have to be a bloody robot to not feel the true drama and pain in 'Happy You’re Gone'. No feigned emotions there…Elsewhere the melodic and uplifting poppier rock of 'Ashtray Heart' (true fans will know where the name comes from) and 'Bright Lights' promises some good anthemic additions to Placebo’s live set, while Molko’s favourite track “Speak In Tongues” is one of the finest the band have crafted in a long long while. My personal favourite is 'Julien', but it’s only one of a whole album’s worth of inspired music from a band who won’t be broken yet. Far from it in fact…