Album Review: Pet Shop Boys - Elysium

Pet Shop Boys
Elysium
Rating: Meh

Nearing 30 years in the recording industry and releasing their 11th studio record Elysium, legendary synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys are entering the twilight of their career. Never ones to really push the envelope of their sound, throughout their career PSB stayed basically in the wake of current electronic music trends, and since 2002's Release, have basically abandoned any pretense of remaining current and entered a stage of being wry elder statesmen, releasing decidedly "adult" pop music. Any PSB album lives and dies on Neil Tennant's lyrics, their least successful records (Bilingual and Fundamental) unfocused and scattered, never really showing Tennant's devilish wit and jaded social commentary. 2009's Yes was a remarkable return to form, showcasing Tennant's best set of songs since their masterpiece Very, and had me hopeful for a late period Renaissance for the duo. Which makes their latest album such a disappointment. Elysium is not a disaster, but it certainly will be considered a very minor PSB work.

Initially, Elysium struck me as comparable to their adult contemporary album Release, and I settled in for a set of mature, expertly written pop songs. "Leaving" hits all the right marks for PSB, nice melody, twinkling synths and swooning strings. Gorgeous, stately ballad "Invisible" which is a haunting commentary about growing older and trying to remain in the spotlight.



Single "Winner" just feels like another classic PSB track, featuring a soaring melody and rousing chorus.



The album as a whole appears to be a commentary on growing older and the perceptions and effects it has on an artist and as a person in general. "Your Early Stuff" could possibly be a reaction to reviews like this where there is always going to be a comparison to their earlier material. "Requiem In Denim And Leopardskin" a critique of artists who stay too long at the party and become a parody of themselves, with lyrics like "This is our last chance for goodbye/Let the music begin/Shining and souring like a requiem/In denim and leopardskin."

And while these songs have a discrete charm, overall, the songwriting seems very lackluster and rather phoned in. And while most PSB records' music is never anything to write home about, here it often appears cheesy and half-assed. "Requiem" feels like it's built from store bought Yamaha keyboard presets, and a by-the-numbers disco handbook. "Ego Music" is cringe-worthy both lyrically and with its very standard synthpop stylings, "Hold On" is meant to be a stirring anthem, but merely comes across as a bland, high school musical number, and "Give It A Go" sounds like one of their throwaways for Liza Minnelli.

Towards the end of the record, there is slight redemption with two tracks. The bittersweet reflections of "Memory of the Future," with aching lyrics like "Over and over again/I keep tasting that sweet memory/Looking back of my life now I'm in/Asking if not later then when;" and the dark, brooding synths of "Everything Means Something" is a stark contrast to the rest of the fluffy production work elsewhere on the album, which more of would have been a welcome contrast.

Ultimately, Elysium is a rather disappointing follow up to the charming Yes. Produced by Andrew Dawson, who has worked with Kanye West, I was expecting a more modern, fresh approach for PSB, and was shocked at how the album is buffed to an almost irritating sheen. Based on the themes of the record, I am almost saddened to have to mention that Elysium just doesn't match their earlier material, and while it doesn't tarnish their reputation in any way, it certainly does nothing to extend it.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.