Pet Shop Boys – A ‘Super’ Review

On 1 April 2016, three years after the release of their previous album ‘Electric’, the Pet Shop Boys returned with ‘Super’. And a super album it is too. It’s an electronic album again, with the kind of variation in moods that you’d expect from a Pet Shop Boys album. So how does it sound? Here are my thoughts, track by track.

 

1. Happiness
The opening track certainly bops along, and has been promoted as one of the standout tracks along with ‘The Pop Kids’ and ‘Inner Sanctum’. Sadly, for this listener, the hillbilly style refrains of the the chorus grate on my sensibilities like fingernails on a blackboard. So I skip to the next track.

2. The Pop Kids
The first single from the album, released back in February, was a nice teaser that gave an inkling of the treats that were to come. Featuring the kind of nostalgia that we saw back in ‘Being Boring’ (from ‘Behaviour’) the track rolls along nicely. But wait, there’s more.

3. Twenty Something
A sharp critique of modern life and its first world problems, I found this hilarious. Great song too, but it gets better…

4. Groovy
“Is this really groovy?”, I asked myself as the track began. “Yes it is”, I realised, as the introduction turned into the song proper. Humorously self-aware lyrics too. By now I’m starting to dance.

5. The Dictator Decides
So now I’m still dancing, just slightly more slowly. Who’s this social commentary about then? Could apply to anyone you like. Socially critical, but vague enough to apply to the bogeyman (or woman) of your persuasion.

6. Pazzo!
It’s Italian for ‘crazy’, and by now I am dancing like crazy. This is an extremely danceable tune, but at 2 minutes 44 seconds, it’s all over too quickly. A killer track – if there’s ever a candidate for an extended mix, it’s ‘Pazzo!’.

7. Inner Sanctum
Another track with danceability throughout its very being. Some great sounding multilayered vocals on this one. Another killer track.

8. Undertow
The danceathon continues with ‘Undertow’. This is classic PSB pop.

9. Sad Robot World
Sad Robot World takes the mood down a notch or two, with Neil delivering the sadness the song requires. The musical arrangement underscores this brilliantly. Try not to shed a tear during this one.

10. Say It To Me
You’ll need cheering up after that, and this track delivers that cheer. Starting to dance again.

11. Burn
By now you’ll be dancing so much you’ve forgotten why you were sad about that robot world. Excellent electronic pop.

12. Into Thin Air
As an album closer, I’m not sure I’d have gone with this one. It’s not a bad song, I just wouldn’t have ended the album with this. I’d have probably put this track between ‘The Dictator Decides’ and ‘Pazzo!’ and ended with ‘Burn’.

So in these days of playlists (they’re the 21st century mixtapes aren’t they?) I would create a playlist starting with track 2, then 3, 4, 5, 12, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. That would make a Super Duper album for me.

Score: 7/10