Even pop kids grow up eventually — this is Pet Shop Boys’ 14th album, but they’re still finding new ways of keeping things fresh.
The rave-inflected Will O the Wisp is a thunderous way in, with evocative and flirtatious lyrics to boot (“You’re such a handsome thing / Do you still hang round that old arcade to see what luck will bring?”).
The duo trade heavily in nostalgia across the 10 tracks, of course — forgettable Years & Years collaboration Dreamland could have come from any point in their back catalogue — but they’re not afraid to mix things up.
Monkey Business is as boisterous as they’ve ever been, with propulsive, jagged strings. Dreamy You Are the One and Hoping For a Miracle are both classically constructed ballads, with the kind of emollient synths you could wrap yourself up in and fall asleep. There’s even folk influence on Burning the Heather, an elegant tune which lets Neil Tennant’s vocals shine.
After four decades together, they just know what works. Happy People is the kind of glittering dancefloor romp which shows them at their euphoric best. When they’re on form like this, there’s always room for more Pet Shop Boys.
