Pet Shop Boys have been doing their gay Euro-disco thing for almost
a quarter century now. On their 10th album, they still sound like
sprightly young men. Naturally, the beats have slowed down some and the
hooks aren’t as abundant as they were back when the Boys were making
great singles in the ’80s, but Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe swathe
Yes in layers of royal-sounding synths and rhythmic pop. There’s
plenty of intentionally hollow glamour here: On “Beautiful People,”
Tennant sings, “I want to live like beautiful people” in a detached
tone that suggests he’d rather be kicking it at home watching Gossip
Girl. And on “Love etc.” — “You don’t have to be
beautiful, but it helps.” The Boys’ drollness courses through
Yes’ grooves like their lives depended on it. After all these
years, they’re still gloriously bitchy. — Gallucci
This article appears in Apr 22-28, 2009.
