Synth-pop veterans the Pet Shop Boys pick up where they left off three years ago, luxuriating in the glittery sparkle of a disco ball.
Pet Shop Boys/ Super
‘Remember those days, the early ’90s?/We both applied for places at the same university/Ended up in London where we needed to be/To follow our obsession with the music scene,” begins The Pop Kids, lead single off Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe’s 13th LP, Super. Unmistakably autobiographical, the track provides a backstory for the long-serving duo — sort of like Pet Shop Boys 101, if you will. “They called us the pop kids/’Cause we loved the pop hits/And quoted the best bits.” Tennant goes on to profess allegiance to the genre in the chorus alongside a vintage house beat. An instant modern classic, not only does The Pop Kids exemplify the spirit of the band better than any of their past hits, it also sets the tone for the rest of the album.
Produced by multiple Grammy winner Stuart Price (Madonna, New Order, Kylie Minogue, Missy Elliott), Super aims squarely for the dance floor. Happiness kicks things off with throbbing beats and the clanging of hi-hats. As far as the lyrics go, there’s no narrative to speak of, only a bold assertion: “It’s a long way to happiness/A long way to go/But I’m gonna get there, boy/The only way I know.” Much like Se A Vida E from 1996’s Bilingual, reggaeton-indebted Twenty-something is a paean to being young, although observed here with a slightly sardonic eye cast towards today’s millennials (“That’s how you are, or have to be/In a decadent city, at a time of greed”).
While Inner Sanctum takes the cake in the deep, dark, Berlin-certified techno department, The Dictator Decides emerges as another standout with its menacing militaristic stomp and politically charged lyrics. Taking on the role of a tyrant, Tennant sings, “The joke is I’m not even a demagogue/Have you heard me giving a speech?/My facts are invented, I sound quite demented/So deluded it beggars belief/It’d be such a relief, not to give another speech.” We’re not naming any names, but we could definitely think of a few individuals to which those words could be appropriately ascribed.
With the sole exception of Krautrock ballad Sad Robot World, Super shimmers and glides along the spectrum of dance music without a hitch from start to finish. Much of the credit must be given to Price, who previously had a hand in the duo’s 2013 dance-centric Electric and has succeeded here yet again in blending classic house production with contemporary electronic flourishes. Couple that with Tennant’s flair for storytelling and Lowe’s time-honoured synth-pop prowess and the result is a testament to Pet Shop Boys’ three-decade pop supremacy.
THE PLAYLIST
The Ghost Cat/ Naan Pai Laew (Way Too Long)
After having drummed up a fair bit of hype over the last few months, Spicy Disc’s latest signing, The Ghost Cat, have finally revealed themselves as a supergroup comprised of members from bands like Sqweez Animal, POP, Flur, Blissonic and Groove Riders. Their inaugural single Naan Pai Laew (Way Too Long) is a wholesome blend of new wave and disco influences, but the real highlight lies in the smooth vocals provided by Sqweez Animal’s Win Sirivongse.
Andrew Bird (featuring Fiona Apple)/ Left Handed Kisses
Folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird has teamed up with Fiona Apple on Left Handed Kisses, the second song taken from his latest studio album, Are You Serious. “I don’t believe everything happens for a reason/To us romantics out here, that amounts to high treason,” the pair begins over a burst of strummed guitar. “I don’t go in for your star-crossed lovers/In the heart of a sceptic/There’s a question that still hovers near.” The violin wails and the bells chirp in, taking the whole thing to a whole new multi-faceted level. A true match made in whimsical heaven.
Michael Kiwanuka/ Black Man In A White World
Well, how about that title, hey? UK soul revivalist Michael Kiwanuka gets straight to the point on the lead single lifted from his forthcoming LP, Love & Hate. The gospel-inspired track is about a conflicted man struggling to find hope in the world in which he’s a minority. Over rousing handclaps and funky guitar licks, the winner of the BBC Sound of 2012 bemoans his fate against the joyous production, “I’m in love but I’m still sad/I’ve found peace but I’m not glad/All my nights and all my days I’ve been trying the wrong way.” The struggle is real indeed.
Andy Stott/ Butterflies
Manchester producer Andy Stott’s last album, 2014’s Faith in Strangers, was one of the most masterful electronic music records we’ve had the pleasure of hearing. Known for crafting ghostly, glitchy techno sound, Stott is back with a new LP, Too Many Voices. Here, we have expansive lead single Butterflies, a four-and-a-half-minute journey into sonorous soundscapes. A nocturnal slow burner, the track takes its time coursing through a minimal groove laced with errant distorted synths. Unlike most of his previous material which leans towards instrumental, the track features substantial soulful vocals.
Whitney/ Golden Days
Chicago’s up-and-coming indie outfit Whitney is made up of Max Kakacek, the former Smith Westerns guitarist, and Julien Ehrlich, who used to be in Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Together, they trade in jangly, sun-drenched indie rock reminiscent of Yo La Tengo and Kurt Vile. Their latest offering, Golden Days, comes with a wistful horn section and lyrics that perfectly capture the nostalgia of those waning summer days (“Those golden days snuck away from us/Lately I’ve been close but I’m up to trouble/Those golden days keep you hanging on”).
This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.