Dancing Past Pop's Surface

It has been 25 years since the Pet Shop Boys made their first stab at making pop records. One thing that no amount of style changes have managed to do, which is to make the duo sound like anybody BUT themselves. While America seems to have ignored the boys for the past 15 years they've consistently made well-crafted, hook-filled records, loads of hit singles and written a ton of great music for others. Rarely have they made a false step.

Many have pointed to their 1993 album, "Very" as the boy's pop peak. Though their albums since then have been equally regarded, "Very" seems to hold a particular piece of nostalgia and appreciation. Equally hailed by critics as well as reflected in chart sales, like a greatest hits collection of entirely new material, very was "pop" that connected by expressing universal ideas about love.

That their new album "Yes" harkens back to this time in their career is in no small way due to their decision to work with the production team Xenomania, hit makers for pop sensations like Girl's Aloud. Love them or hate them, they have buckets full of hits-and as "serious" sounding as the pet shop boys may occasionally be they are still trading as a pop band. Good thing too as "Yes" is about as "pop" as these two have sounded in ages and I have to say it suits them well. They still sound like the pet shop boys. Neil still sounds arch and witty as hell and Chris still hides behind his shades and hats, twiddling the knobs somewhere several feet away. Oops, double entendre.

The first tracks from the new album that hit me were “Did you see me coming?” "More than a dream" and "The way it used to be." Each of them upbeat dance tunes, done like they should be. You can't HELP but tap your feet and shake your hips to this album, unless they're broken. Its not all dance music however, ranging from four on the floor thump thumps like Pandemonium (sure to be a single) and lead off single Love etc. to the wistfully reflective, almost tender King of Rome.

Other than closing the album with the maudlin “Legacy”-which, while pretty would have been better suited between “More than a dream” and “Building a wall”, this album is really well paced. I always loved the way the Bilingual album closes with the amazingly upbeat “Saturday night forever.” The new album is so pop it would have worked a little better to have it end with the great “The way it used to be” or “This used to be the future” with Human League's Phillip Oakey, for some reason marooned on the 2nd disc of the limited edition version. C'mon you two, what's with the tease?

Happily the summer looms, where singles like “Did you see me coming?” should be pumping out of fan’s car stereos everywhere. This, their tenth album finds the boys stepping forward with a few old friends (Johnny Marr!) and some new ones, creating what is arguably their best album this decade. Yes, it’s incredibly pop.