Placebo - Special K

We've said it before and we'll say it again, the 90s were a remarkable era for music. Virtually overnight, the glossy electro-pop and glam-metal sheen of the late 80s gave way to something darker, rawer, and far more guitar-driven. Grunge and Industrial Rock exploded in the US, whereas over the pond in the UK and Europe, Britpop and Indie rock rose up and found it's place in the spotlight. It was a decade defined by reinvention, and if you were a couple of people with a guitar and a drum kit, it was a very good time to start a band.

It was in the midst of this shifting landscape that Placebo emerged. Often lumped in with the broader Britpop movement but never really fitting its mould, the band made waves from the get-go thanks in part to their singer, Brian Molko's, unique voice and the band's androgenous look.  Coupled with very well written songs that often dealt with issues darker issues around sexuality, mental health and drug use, they managed to craft this almost dirty but somehow clean and unique sound that helped elevate them amongst their peers.

Their self-titled debut remains a standout of heavy 90s alt rock, but it was their second album, Without You I'm Nothing, that saw them really get mainstream recognition as they expanded and evolved their sound. Across subsequent albums, they pushed further into experimentation, texture, and emotional depth ... a pattern they’ve maintained right through to the present day.  Pick any album from their discography and you'll know you're listening to Placebo, but it'll still sound fresh and different from what came before.  There aren't many bands who can say that after a 30 year career.

So that brings us to this week's pick, and there's a lot of tracks to choose from.  The band's first 10 single run off their first and second albums alone gives me more than enough choice paralysis .. but for this one, we're going to go with "Special K", from their third album, Black Market Music.  It's an unusually upbeat and catchy song for the band, which also had the dubious honour of being their first single to attract censorship (partly because of the drug related title, and partly because the band pushed back against the "two single system" at the time).

If you have more time to kill, your homework is also to listen to their first album in it's entirety .. there will be a test next week.