Meds - "Insanely Mad"

All this talk about Ritalin and Prozac comes at an auspicious time. For the last half-year, I've been "insanely mad" (Redundancy, or re-emphasis? And note the self-mocking innuendo!) about the band Placebo. Last week they released their fantastic new album, aptly titled, "Meds".

I was so eager to hear it, that I downloaded it a few days before the official release.

In about ten days I must have listened to it twice as many times as that.

There's always a concern that a new release from and established, loved band, will just be the same songs recycled again with different arrangements and different words (yes, I'm talking about The Tears). In this case I was especially worried that I would be let down by this release, because -- let's face it -- a lot of Placebo's songs sound the same.

Much to my delight, I found that on the contrary, "Meds" was the freshest sound Placebo have come up with in their history. Sure, the delectably androgynous Brian Molko (has that name EVER been mentioned without that adjective?) still has that "special" nasal tone and uses the same harmonic intervals in his vocals, but there's something totally new about the overall sound of this record. And the lyrics are as brilliant as ever. Meds is by far my favorite release of 2006.

Needless to say, I especially relate to the lyrics of the title track:

I was alone, Falling free,
Trying my best not to forget
What happened to us,
What happened to me,
What happened as I let it slip.

I was confused by the powers that be,
Forgetting names and faces.
Passersby were looking at me
As if they could erase it

Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
(repeat)

I was alone,
Staring over the ledge,
Trying my best not to forget
All manner of joy
All manner of glee
And our one heroic pledge

How it mattered to us,
How it mattered to me,
And the consequences

I was confused,
By the birds and the bees
Forgetting if I meant it

Baby, did you forget to take your meds?
(repeat x 3)

And the Sex and the drugs and the complications
(repeat x 3)

Baby did you forget to take your meds?
(repeat x 5)

I was alone,
Falling free,
Trying my best not to forget