After faltering with their last album, the electro-pop pioneers dust themselves off and come back strong with a very solid follow-up
PET SHOP BOYS/ ELECTRIC
Pet Shop Boys' last studio album, Elysium, came and went without leaving much of an impression. The only thing we seem to recall is its first single, Winner, and that only because it came out just in time for the London Olympics (quite a clever marketing ploy, by the way), and that it was less annoying than the event's official song by Muse. But other than that, the PSB's 11th studio effort was a forgettable affair and didn't come close to taking home any medals. Most of its energy was spent on heavier, depressing subjects such as growing old, escapes from reality and death.
But less than a year later the duo are already back on their synths and keyboards, releasing their 12th album on their own label, Kobalt Label Services. Armed with Madonna's go-to producer, Stuart Price, Electric finds Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe at their most refreshed and danceable yet (as those who went to see them at Sonic Bang music festival last weekend in Bangkok personally witnessed). The album's opening number, Axis, roars and soars into the stratosphere. "Electric energy," repeats the robotic voice over explosive synths. Not even halfway through the track and we know instantly that the PSB are back for blood.
Bolshy then segues in nicely with snappy hi-hats and disco-house beats that brilliantly sustain the lasting energy of Axis. "Raise your voice, start a feud," Tennant dares. We love how the key suddenly shifts after a two-minute mark. Next up is Love Is a Bourgeois Construct, an impressive disco tribute that could have passed off as one of the songs from Daft Punk's Random Access Memories if it weren't for Tennant's unique vocals.
More rapturous grooves await on the askew house jams (Fluorescent, Inside a Dream), relentless rave party (Shouting in the Evening) and a glittery cover of Bruce Springsteen's anti-war classic The Last to Die. Electric ends things on a high note with Vocal, a handclap-driven, Calvin Harris-esque anthem on which Tennant calmly announces: "I like the people/I like the song/This is my kind of music." With the arena-sized chorus that goes "It's in the music/And everything about tonight feels right and so young/And anything I'd want to say out loud will be sung", this track is sure to serve as a closing number at their live shows from here on out.
All in all, Electric marks a triumphant return for Pet Shop Boys, who manage to not only stay relevant, but also stand out in the scene primarily dominated by much younger dance producers such as David Guetta and Harris. While the duo may have stumbled with a few missteps, with their latest offering they more than redeem themselves with a phenomenal record.
THE PLAYLIST
Singto Numchoke/ Eye
Local troubadour and ukulele maestro Singto Numchoke has never failed to deliver mood-lifting songs that can brilliantly soundtrack road trips and beach getaways. His latest, Eye (Shy), is no exception. Starting with masterful ad-lib during the intro, the track finds Singto in his signature breezy nature. "If you're feeling it too, but you're too shy to say what's on your mind/Just sing eye-eye-eye to me and I'll understand," he croons to the cruisy melody in the background. Catchy and totally hum-along worthy.
Sam Smith/ Nirvana
The voice behind No1 collaborations with Disclosure (Latch) and Naughty Boy (La La La) has now truly come into its own. After showing us what he's got on his own material, the slow-burner Safe With Me, British crooner Sam Smith quickly follows up with another called Nirvana. Here, he gets deeply emotional with his soulful warble, singing: "Oh, you take me to Nirvana/I don't think this will last/But you're here in my arms," over a dreamy big-band backdrop. It's both romantic and sexy _ a perfect tune to serenade your man/woman on the evening in.
Janelle Monae and Miguel/ Primetime
Of all the comeback albums due out later this year, we're positive that Janelle Monae's will be one of the most memorable. After giving us a funky single, Q.U.E.E.N. (featuring Erykah Badu), the R&B queen recruits king of futuristic R&B Miguel to assist her on Primetime, a ballad from Monae's forthcoming LP The Electric Lady. Sampling the Pixies' classic Where Is My Mind, the song plays to both artists' strengths and their ability to passionately emote. Aside from Badu and Miguel, The Electric Lady will also include collaborations with Prince as well as Solange Knowles and Cee-Lo Green.
London Grammar/ Interlude
Up-and-coming UK trio London Grammar have been serving up a series of killer tracks such as Metal & Dust, Wasting My Young Years and Help Me Lose My Mind, their gorgeous collaboration with Disclosure. The band continues its run with Interlude, a lush piano ballad that benefits from the haunting voice of frontwoman Hannah Reid (who has been favorably compared to Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine). These guys have a knack for turning something minimal into a powerful, grand-sounding affair. Their upcoming debut, If You Wait, is due on Sept 9.
Enrique Iglesias/ Turn the Night Up
Following his 2010 studio album, Euphoria, the Spanish pop heartthrob is back with the latest cut from his upcoming yet-to-be-named 10th studio effort. As the song's title suggests, Turn the Night Up is one strictly for the dancefloor. Musically, it seems to take a lot of inspiration from LMFAO's Sexy and I Know It and countless other dance jams on today's radio waves. With the obligatory handclap, synth buildup, tweaked vocals and insipid lyrics about living it up, the whole affair comes across as disappointingly predictable and unimaginative.
