User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 68 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 68
  2. Negative: 7 out of 68
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  1. Sep 17, 2013
    8
    Not a bad album, but NOT their best. This album sounds like Placebo, but not as the Placebo we used to know. Some songs are joyful (Loud Like Love, Too Many Friends) and other are very melancholic (Bosco, Hold on to Me) and others could have been part of Battle for the Sun; but it doesn't matter because the album sounds different.
  2. Sep 30, 2013
    7
    If this was the first Placebo album I'd ever heard, bought, and enjoyed, I would be very happy with the back catalogue. As a long time fan, I'm satisfied, but not overwhelmed. Some parts of this album do reference but without rehashing, previous tunes. Placebo have a sound, I think haters of this album oughta chill.
  3. Sep 23, 2013
    8
    The last effort of Placebo sounds like...Placebo under steroids with a more consistent, cleaner, and tighter sound. That music is packed with true gems (Exit Wounds- the chorus is addictive Too Many Friends), has amazing, delicate and melancholic melodies (Bosco, Hold On To Me). I do not perceive any boring song, from start to finish. Driven by a good pacing plus a lot of memorableThe last effort of Placebo sounds like...Placebo under steroids with a more consistent, cleaner, and tighter sound. That music is packed with true gems (Exit Wounds- the chorus is addictive Too Many Friends), has amazing, delicate and melancholic melodies (Bosco, Hold On To Me). I do not perceive any boring song, from start to finish. Driven by a good pacing plus a lot of memorable hooks, this record should fulfill the old fans and bring part of young one. Lyrics are what we get used to listen from Placebo. Sex, drugs, violence (i.e Rob The Bank is painful and pathetic, a self-parody of Follow The Cops). Nevertheless, Brian Molko besides signed a lot of insightful and emotional lyrics, therefore, the band has produced a timeless pop album. Placebo is far, far beyond the laughable symphonic aspirations of Bellamy & Co. Expand
  4. Nov 19, 2013
    9
    Great album, however it did take me a couple of listens to realise that yes, this is a good album! Battle For The Sun was more in your face, if you like. Whereas this is more subtle, pulling at your arm to try and get you to listen closer to the lyrics, as simple as they seem, the deeper they run.
  5. Sep 18, 2013
    10
    The best album of Placebo, better than Battle for the sun and Meds, this album have at least five epic musics: A million little pieces, Loud like love, scene of crime, rob the bank and hold on to me.
  6. Oct 1, 2013
    9
    Loud Like Love is really one of Placebo's best albums!I could never believe that the band I loved a few years ago could make such a masterpiece again...Maybe because I didn't enjoy Battle For The Sun that much I guess.The weirdest thing ever is that fans think it's one of their best but "critics" seem to hate it.Yes...weird as you my band!
  7. Jul 25, 2014
    8
    For me Loud Like Love while it has its flaws, is arguably Placebo's most direct and focused work since Black Market Music. I'm a Placebo fan and while I understand the criticisms people have of the band, I prefer to focus on the positives. Also, if you don't like Brian Molko's voice then I'm sure what your doing listening to Placebo records.

    "Loud Like Love" opens with a decent pop
    For me Loud Like Love while it has its flaws, is arguably Placebo's most direct and focused work since Black Market Music. I'm a Placebo fan and while I understand the criticisms people have of the band, I prefer to focus on the positives. Also, if you don't like Brian Molko's voice then I'm sure what your doing listening to Placebo records.

    "Loud Like Love" opens with a decent pop rocker that despite trying to hard to be epic, still packs a punch. This is followed by the excellent "Scene of the Crime". "Too Many Friends" is the album's low point and I can't believe this was chosen as the lead single. Its lyrically cringeworthy as well poorly thought out musically. "Hold onto me" is excellent which is followed up by the heaviest track on the album "Rob The Bank" which is a great tune if a lyrically on the questionable side. "A Million Little Pieces" sounds like one of the weaker tracks off of "Sleeping With Ghosts" - its not bad but its not great either. "Exit Wounds" and "Purify" are strong tracks and have all the elements of classic Placebo. "Begin The End" is decent if a bit dreary and in the end it doesn't really go anywhere. The album's closer "Bosco" would be a fantastic song if the outro wasn't so dragged out, and Molko's insistence on endlessly repeating the phrase "Suck You Dry" kills an otherwise great song.

    The strengths of this album lie in the music and the playing. Lyrically, Placebo have had better (and worse) days. Production wise its pretty much spot on. Perhaps its the fact that we only get 10 tracks as opposed to the 12 or 13 we've gotten on the band's last few releases, but its does feel like a very focused record with a clear direction. When you think that the band have released decent stand alone singles "Trigger Happy Hands" and "B3" since this album's predecessor, you wonder if the inclusion of these over "Too Many Friends" would have made the album far better. I'd take an album like this ever 3 or 4 years from Placebo at this stage in their career's.
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  8. Nov 22, 2013
    10
    This album is the result of a mature and intelligent band. I don´t understand why some of the "specialized" criteria here are so blind to see that this is a great piece of music. Congratulations, Placebo, you have done a great work because this album is full of heart and dedication. Thanks for this gift for people who love True music.
  9. Nov 11, 2013
    7
    To me, Meds was one of the highest moments on Placebo's discography. They rediscovered Molko's vocals, Stephan's riffs and Steve's style on drums. After a hardly reachable Sleeping with ghosts, they did it.
    Loud like love is another effort to reach their own style, after a non-recognizable Battle for the sun. No doubt they have evolved, and it's remarkable that they are on their way again.
  10. Dec 6, 2013
    8
    On my 1st time listening to this album I was a bit disappointed. somehow the 2 "hits" Too many friends and Loud like love did not appeal to me so much. However, the more I listen to this album, the more I love it and think it has some great songs and qualities. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE "Exit Wounds" and "Million little pieces". I also think "Scene of the crime" and "Rob the bank" are fabulous!
  11. Jan 31, 2014
    9
    I think this is one of the best albums they have, if not their actual best. This is the result of a mature and experienced band containing all the elements of the band from their beginning till present. All their experience put together in one album. Love it !
  12. Feb 5, 2014
    10
    Similar to Meds, but better. Absolutely Love Loud Like Love and Too Many Friends. Some upbeat joyful stuff, but also some reflective melancholy music as well. Too many Friends would be Just that - Melancholy but up beat! Awesome!
  13. Feb 11, 2014
    10
    Highly addictive, beautifully mature and so Placebo. Can't stop listening to Bosco and A Million Little Pieces. The Loud Like Love is another amazing piece of art that can't disappoint the long time fens.
  14. Apr 17, 2014
    8
    Seventh Placebo album is an album that didn't came out in the right time. Last year gave us some of the finest albums, and among all that beautiful music it is hard to stand out when bar is raised very high by Placebo itself and by other albums released around that time (let's call it AM).

    However, main lyrical themes on Loud Like Love are not obsolete or boring. Quite opposite in fact.
    Seventh Placebo album is an album that didn't came out in the right time. Last year gave us some of the finest albums, and among all that beautiful music it is hard to stand out when bar is raised very high by Placebo itself and by other albums released around that time (let's call it AM).

    However, main lyrical themes on Loud Like Love are not obsolete or boring. Quite opposite in fact. And if there is a way to write music about filter search (My computer thinks I'm gay Too Many Friends), financial crisis (Rob the bank, then pick your nose Rob The Bank), abandoning ideals (Total abandon, The love in my dreams Loud Like Love), social isolation in time where is plethora of social networks (I got too many friends, Too many people that I'll never meet, And I'll never be there for Too Many Friends) - this is how it is done.
    This is, for the most part, a low key album, specially in contrast to the other Placebo albums. It has all the idiosyncratic Placebo ingredients: Molko's nasality, sparkle with dose of nostalgia and Peter Pan syndrome (Who told the world that I was older? Hold On To Me), piano versus prominent guitar... But when you sum up the whole album it is consistently (only) very good. It will not change your life, it is not the best Placebo album yet, but this album has no oscillations.

    Highlights are: Too Many Friends, A Million Little Pieces and Bosco.
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Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 15
  2. Negative: 2 out of 15
  1. Q Magazine
    Jan 27, 2014
    80
    [Placebo is now] sounding modern and sneakingly world-beating. [Oct 2013, p.109]
  2. Classic Rock Magazine
    Oct 23, 2013
    60
    While this album is unlikely to win them many new fans at this stage, there's plenty of the old charm twinkling away to get fans back on board their wonderfully strange little ship. [Oct 2013, p.89]
  3. Sep 30, 2013
    30
    Lyrically it’s weak, and the over-polished studio buffing does nothing to emancipate the blueprint that is, essentially, the same as it was 17 years ago.