Never Let Me Go
by Placebo
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 53 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 53
  3. Negative: 3 out of 53
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  1. maratsar
    Mar 26, 2022
    10
    Absolutely stunning late career highlight from the most critically underestimated band in Britain. Not their best since Meds -- it's better than Meds, their best since the sublime Sleeping With Ghosts. Sonically impressive, varied, polished and extremely detailed alt rock that sounds not just true to the history of the band, but also indicative of where this genre of rock can still go.Absolutely stunning late career highlight from the most critically underestimated band in Britain. Not their best since Meds -- it's better than Meds, their best since the sublime Sleeping With Ghosts. Sonically impressive, varied, polished and extremely detailed alt rock that sounds not just true to the history of the band, but also indicative of where this genre of rock can still go. Very delighted to hear the (excellent) experimental single Surrounded By Spies is not the only such song here. Went Missing and Fix Yourself end the album on a double whammy of such chorusless gems. On the poppier end, The Prodigal is Placebo's first Big Strings Song and it makes you glad they didn't do it sooner, saving it for now. It's delicate and striking. I'm not personally a huge fan of NIN and Depeche Mode so the opener Forever Chemicals and third up Hugz that borrow from these bands don't home in on my personal tastes like, for example, the closing duo -- they are solid songs nonetheless. With strikingly muscular guitar landscapes, especially the solos in Hugz. And the sequencing of the first 4 tracks is, as is often the case with Placebo, very sound architecturally. Just the right thing follows the right thing, and Beautiful James sits as track 2 like an uplifting gem.

    I knew it was a good sign when Brian Malko said their next will be more experimental back in 2017. We had to wait long and it was better than anyone expected. More of this, please! The sad taste of the pop-at-any-cost Battle For The Sun and Loud Live Love has absolutely washed off. This is Placebo covering new ground and moving forward on their strengths. Gem follows gem in this tracklist. The stratospheric guitars of Twin Demons and the excellent, excellent backing vocals of Chemtrails.

    An entire paragraph must be dedicated to bassist Stefan Olsdals' backing vocals here. What a secret weapon in Placebo's arsenal. They uplift and elevate the entire album with their wistful melodic lines, echoing sublimely within the walls of guitar Brian Malko lays around them. Almost every chorus and post-chorus here is raised by Olsdal's honestly just sublime presence. Makes one dream of a mostly Olsdal led track, there in the bright future this band have in front of them in this dark, terrible decade. Far, far from the legacy act they became in the tens.

    Lets close on some vindication. An awful lot of those critics who refused to acknowledge the heights Placebo reached in the late nineties and early aughts -- with curiously underpraised albums like Without You I'm Nothing and Sleeping With Ghosts -- were, among other things, also motivated by plain old homophobia. There. Suck it bastards.    … Expand
  2. stefanosf
    Mar 25, 2022
    10
    My favorite band is back and they’re better than ever ❤️‍
  3. AliasAlien
    Mar 25, 2022
    10
    This truly may be their greatest album to date, eclipsing even the legendary Without You I'm Nothing. The consistency here is astonishing, while the intricate electronic production sounds both aggressively modern yet also quintessentially Placebo. Almost every track feels like it could've been the lead single; there's no filler here. This is what a contemporary rock record should sound like.
  4. acalvoelorri
    Mar 25, 2022
    10
    Easily their best album. Their most focused and hauntingly beautiful for sure, very emotional and restrained. I wasn't expecting this amazing record.
  5. Sheppherd88
    Mar 25, 2022
    10
    This is a great comeback after a 9-year absence. Track "Fix yourself" reminds The Cure and is a good ending of the album. Pretty mature work comparing to the previous "Loud like love"!
  6. Jderwee
    Mar 28, 2022
    10
    Made me fall in love with Placebo again. Brian brings that desperate melancholy back to where it sits so well. It's beautiful, it's a welcome home.
  7. bertobellamy
    Mar 28, 2022
    7
    Definitely will need more listens because I didn't connect with it so much at first. I'm not expecting it to be better than their first efforts over time, but at least it sounds cohesive.
  8. Ricko
    Apr 15, 2022
    9
    It's been 9 long years since the unfairly (in my opinion) maligned "Loud Like Love". It was a little placebo by numbers and hinted that this might be the best that could expected going forward. The band followed this up with a best of collection and tour, again signalling that the freshness might have dried up for them. In "Never Let Me Go", the band have found the most appealing and vitalIt's been 9 long years since the unfairly (in my opinion) maligned "Loud Like Love". It was a little placebo by numbers and hinted that this might be the best that could expected going forward. The band followed this up with a best of collection and tour, again signalling that the freshness might have dried up for them. In "Never Let Me Go", the band have found the most appealing and vital version of themselves without rethreading what they were in the 90's. The album has everything to please the old school fan but it's not just a nostalgia driven return to form, its a seriously excellent album full of creativity and focus, a fair achievement considering the album clocks in around the hour mark. There are no dud tracks and there are only the occasional misstep. Lyrically there is a bit of repetition within songs and closer "Fix Yourself", while a great tune, completely lifts the vocal melody from Radioheads "How to Disappear Completely". Other than than that it's up their with the very best Placebo have produced. Great to see a band being able to produce the goods 25 years or so into their careers.… Expand
  9. KasparsP
    Mar 25, 2022
    10
    Soulmates never die! My, oh my...what an amazing album - a real surprise! Not one song on the album I want to skip. Just beautiful and better than expected! Thank you so much Brian and Stef! ;)
  10. Epicurus
    Jun 27, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Bloody underrated album. Hate most of today's dumb music. My album of the year hands down.… Expand
  11. MusicGuyMack
    Apr 6, 2022
    8
    Its musical achievements may far outweigh any lyrical ones, with an excess of repetition resulting in many tracks drudging past their natural end points, but the mixture of twinkling synths, swelling strings, chugging gothic rock guitars and ethereal vocals brought by Placebo to "Never Let Me Go" proves to be the record's saving grace, keeping things enjoyable listenable far past when theyIts musical achievements may far outweigh any lyrical ones, with an excess of repetition resulting in many tracks drudging past their natural end points, but the mixture of twinkling synths, swelling strings, chugging gothic rock guitars and ethereal vocals brought by Placebo to "Never Let Me Go" proves to be the record's saving grace, keeping things enjoyable listenable far past when they otherwise would be.

    Choice Cuts: "Forever Chemicals," "Try Better Next Time," "Sad White Reggae"    … Expand
  12. henry67600
    Mar 28, 2022
    10
    Rock rock rock comme on adore, du bon, du super, de l excellent, ça faisait longtemps que je n avais pas pris un tel pied avec un groupe de rock. fantastic PLACEBO !!!!
  13. hyperballadbrad
    Apr 11, 2022
    8
    An excellent album - it's got a vibrancy of emotion that was somewhat missing in their last two offerings. It contains anxiety, anger, but also peppered with hopeful anthems. That means it's not the dark (yet wonderful) hole of despair that 'Meds' was.

    Brian Molko uses his voice to great effect too. He uses it in different ways, to powering out the vocals to spoken work, to gentle    An excellent album - it's got a vibrancy of emotion that was somewhat missing in their last two offerings. It contains anxiety, anger, but also peppered with hopeful anthems. That means it's not the dark (yet wonderful) hole of despair that 'Meds' was.

    Brian Molko uses his voice to great effect too. He uses it in different ways, to powering out the vocals to spoken work, to gentle whisper. It shows a diversity in his delivery that adds layers to the songs.

    I've not been able to stop listening to it since release. A welcome return to a wonderful for Placebo.    … Expand
  14. secondalibi
    Mar 31, 2022
    10
    Superb album. Best record they've released in years, it's right up there with their very best work.
  15. AnaisTM
    Mar 28, 2022
    10
    Pure, absolute beauty. Placebo makes a comeback of epic proportions with an album so different from the rest, and yet so completely Placebo.
  16. Haspadar
    Jun 10, 2022
    9
    The first Placebo's album in almost 10 years.
    Worth for waiting! It's awesome.
  17. Lpdobbin
    Apr 28, 2023
    7
    After haven't listening to them in a few years found out about this album. I was skeptical as I wasn't too fond of there last one but I put that aside my judgement and proceeded to listen. I wasn't disappointed a few songs I really enjoyed some notable ones like twin demon, beautiful James, this is what you wanted, and chemtrails really stood out ( played them at there show too). The restAfter haven't listening to them in a few years found out about this album. I was skeptical as I wasn't too fond of there last one but I put that aside my judgement and proceeded to listen. I wasn't disappointed a few songs I really enjoyed some notable ones like twin demon, beautiful James, this is what you wanted, and chemtrails really stood out ( played them at there show too). The rest of the songs I couldn't get into felt like filler and out of placed. You can't knock the band for trying something new some things worked, song writing could have went much deeper. This is a step in the right direction and hopefully a stepping stone to something more deeper, poetic. I know Brian still has it in him to deliver placebo masterpieces that could rival his earliest work.… Expand
  18. DaemonFlex
    Jul 26, 2022
    9
    Amazing music by placebo, one of the best album. I had pleasure from first to last songs.
  19. gluck666
    Aug 11, 2023
    5
    this is just perfect. tracks like twin demons and reminds you what really is Placebo music.

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Most Discussed Album of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. Under The Radar
    Apr 1, 2022
    65
    This won’t be anyone’s favourite Placebo album, but Never Let Me Go is a good solid effort from a band with a considerably lengthy career behind them that hasn’t dropped a record in nearly a decade. So, it’s good to hear that they’re still around and continuing to push themselves, though perhaps just not far enough to be truly remarkable.
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  2. The Line of Best Fit
    Mar 31, 2022
    80
    Never Let Me Go feels like an astute observation of our current post-pandemic social climate, as if the current global narrative has finally caught up to that of Placebo's internal monologue. And though the realities of that are pretty bloody bleak, at least we've got an excellent album out of it.
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  3. PopMatters
    Mar 31, 2022
    40
    If Never Let Me Go at least finds a musical footing, what really dooms it is the songwriting—or lack thereof. Molko uses the same stilted, broken phrasing in too many songs as if he is pausing mid-verse to try and think up a vocal hook.
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