Admittedly, even prior to the release of "I'm Nothing Without You," Brian Molko (vocals, guitar), Stefan Olsdal (bass, guitar, keyboards) and Steve Hewitt (drums) have puzzled, prodded and inflamed their audiences. At first taking their UK audiences by storm, and then going up against the love/hate audiences for them here in the U.S., enjoying some interesting commercial success from their self titled debut, and a radio single "36 Degrees." Now, almost two years later, from across the big pond, "Placebo" is back and armed with their follow up "Without You I'm Nothing."

Finding the groove again with their blend of rhythm based sexual pop, "Placebo" push forward, already adding a feather to their cap with a radio hit in "Pure Morning." This follow up record keeps the flow of their original sound, with the familiar rat-a-tat-tat relationship between drums and guitars, while Osdal's bass lines continue to float over the rhythm, taking on more of a melody stand heavy with harmonics.

Molko's lovable Getty Lee-like vocals are also back in full force, and once again taking up matters of the libido. However, this time around the focus seems to be a bit more on the melancholy morning after than, as on their debut, the electricity of the night before."The first album was a very sexual album" says Moloko, "packed full of youthful vigor and lust. The new album is introverted, more of a post-coital depression: the countdown."

Tracks like "Pure Morning," "You Don't Care About Us" and "Every You Every You" call up all the energy and power of the prior album, and tracks like "Ask For Answers" and "Summers Gone" balance the record off nicely with melodic ballad tendencies. "Scared of Girls" flows dark, and even a bit harder than the rest of the tunes on this record, making it the most unique, and quite possibly my favorite.

Although this record is over all great, it just doesn't measure up to "Placebo's" prior work. I have been through this record dozens of times and unable to find a a track to match tunes from the first record, like "Come Home" or "Nancy Boy." For those of you who are veteran "Placebo" fans, don't expect this record to be like the first one. This is not to say this is a bad record, just different. As for the newbies, dig in, it's about time you get into this band don't ya think?