Yes

Pet Shop Boys
Yes
7 out of 10

How odd that two synth pop titans from the 80s both release new cds the same week. I think I almost wet myself on Tuesday. Along with Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys are one of my all time favorite bands. I was hooked ever since I saw the video for "West End Girls" all those years ago. I have practically bought everything the Boys have put out; all of their studio albums, most of the their remix singles, and even down to the flotsom like their music backing Battleship Potemkin and their ill fated musical Closer to Heaven. I will admit that after their masterpiece Very, the Boys' CDs starting to become a little more spotty. I still buy them though, because even a so-so PSB cd is generally a hundred times better than most band's best efforts.

I was surprised, along with DM's Sounds of the Universe, to find that this is probably the PSB's most consistently good effort since Very. PSB have never been musical pioneers, but they understood trends and how to appropriate them without seeming trendy. Instead of treading water in MOR territory, as with their last releases, they have gone back to what made them great in the first place, excellent songwriting and attention to detail in the music. Who else would use a Tchaikovsky melody as the basis for a song, while marrying it to a Timbaland-style beat? Which is exactly what they did with the song "All Over The World."



This is not to say that they forsake their tried and true formula. First single and album opener "Love Etc." is classic PSB, with a wonderful call-and-response chorus and simple, yet effective melody. They also show that they pick very cutting edge directors for their videos, as shown by the clip below:



A couple of songs really bring back a feeling from the heyday of Very. The bouncy "Did You See Me Coming?" even sounds like a Very outtake. "More Than A Dream" has a wonderful insurgent feel to it, and "The Way It Used To Be" recalls the more winsome aspect of the PSB, akin to "Being Boring." Tennant is excellent at sounding wounded, and the song is perfectly complimented by guitar work from frequent collaborator Johnny Marr. It is becoming one of my favorite PSB songs.



PSB have never been known for their ballads, however, when they are on, they create some lovely music. One of my favorite songs on Yes is the ballad "King of Rome" which shares the same mood and tone as "King's Cross."



There are a few clunkers on the cd, but thankfully, they are few and far between. The song "Building a Wall" just never goes anywhere, and has an irritating chorus, and the song "Vulnerable" is a little too wispy and fey, and Neil Tennant's voice just sounds tinny.

As they are both in their 50s, it is amazing to see PSB still sound relevant and making great music. While Yes is nowhere near as strong as their first cds, it is an excellent edition to their catalog and well worth seeking out.