Pet Store Boys – Nonetheless (Parlophone)
Neil Tennant is within the type of his life because the synth-pop legends have a good time going again dwelling with one in all their most various albums so far
Returning to their unique label of Parlophone 12 years after Elysium regarded like being the ultimate album on their pure dwelling, Pet Store Boys mark the event with their most stately work since that polarising report.
Neil Tennant promised CP final 12 months that “The strings are again”, which is in fact a worrying signal for these followers who discovered Elysium and Launch just a bit too sombre. That their new producer James Ford’s work with The Final Shadow Puppets, of all bands, was the explanation PSB approached him – relatively than, say, having Kylie, Jessie Ware or Depeche Mode on his CV – equally seems a head-scratcher.
But, if Nonetheless isn’t fairly in the identical class as Behaviour (and admittedly, what’s?), it actually shares the spirt of their 1990 masterpiece. Relatively than the “We’re severe artists” temper of 2002’s Launch, right here the strings and brass are largely there to carry further pleasure.
Neil Tennant has not often celebrated love so brazenly in his lyrics than Really feel or The Secret Of Happiness, ballads which head additional into the celebs due to their opulent preparations. For anybody who has Between Two Islands as their favorite PSB B-side, its Balearic bliss is again on The Secret Of Happiness.
The Joys Of Pop
The extravagance peaks on A New Bohemia, one in all Tennant/Lowe’s richest and most dramatic songs, but sustaining a reality and wonder due to Neil’s plaintive vocals at its core. Certainly, one in all Nonetheless’ many joys is how stunning Tennant’s voice is. He could joke that crying on the dancefloor is his consolation zone within the I Wouldn’t Usually Do This Form Of Factor temper of Why Am I Dancing?, but Neil’s voice has by no means been so constantly emotional as it’s throughout these 10 songs.
Whereas Tennant’s gravitas dominates, Nonetheless isn’t particularly earnest, because it’s nonetheless in thrall to the thrill of pop: home banger Bullet For Narcissus is that this album’s So Laborious and the chunky Dancing Star might have bounced straight in from Aspect Two of Please. OK, meaning we have now to endure the weirdly garish The Schlager Hit Parade, which is principally what Pet Store Boys haters suppose Pet Store Boys at all times sound like, however one little bit of eurotrash can’t disrupt an in any other case completely judged album.
Nonetheless is essentially the most various PSB LP since Elementary, nearly an on the spot Finest Of for what number of different Pets songs it brings to thoughts. It deserves to capitalise on any wayward followers returned to the fold for the reason that countless post-Covid hits tour. And, given how good Neil Tennant’s vocals are right here, it looks like Pet Store Boys may simply be getting began once more.
4/5
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