'Release' The new album from The Pet Shop Boys (Pet Shop Boys in general)

Member Name: Leolover

Product:	Pet Shop Boys in general
Date:	28/09/02 (49 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Different and pleasing, a feelgood album

Disadvantages: some fans won't like the new sound

I was lucky enough to see The Pet Shop Boys live at Brixton Academy this Summer, and they really are one of the best live acts around as far as I'm concerned. They mixed songs from their latest album with all the old classics, and the crowd just couldn't get enough. That's one hot, crowded, sweaty, explosive July night that I won't forget in a hurry!

Many die hard Pet Shops Boys fans have expressed bafflement and displeasure at 'Release', an album which is very unlike anything they've ever done in the past; less electronic, synthesised dance tracks and more mellow 'pop' and ballads. Personally, I love it. It's a melodic, feel good album, with some really beautiful anthems ('Birthday Boy,' 'Here') and the fantastic top ten single, 'Home and Dry'.

Here's what I think of each track on the album :


**** HOME AND DRY

One of the definitive tracks of 2002 for me, a wonderful melody with an addictive chorus, which really suits Neil Tennant's distinctive, clear singing voice. It's a bit 'eighties' in feel, which doesn't detract from its impact at all. It's about a lover longing for his lover to return safely from America, where he's away on business. Even more poignant, with 9/11 inevitably at the back of the mind as you listen to the song.

Typical Lyric : 'There's a train at JFK, to fly you back from far away, all those dark and frantic Transatlantic miles....'


**** I GET ALONG

A very 'poppy', lightweight track, I wasn't initially keen on it but it has grown on me a little more each time I've listened to it. It's about a cheating lover and his partner's decision to leave. Not bad.

Typical Lyric : 'Took a long time to track you down, even then you were defiant, it's not what you think it is you said and proceeded to deny it...'


**** B
IRTHDAY BOY

I absolutely love this ballad, but I have to confess, I'm not entirely sure what it's about! Tennant introduced it in Brixton as a 'political ballad', but I'm not sure why! Anyway, it sounds great, one to wave your lighter to!

Typical Lyric : 'Taking all of the blame for the city, calculating from pain comes pity...'


**** LONDON

Fantastic! A real crowd pleaser this one. The story of two illegal immigrants who find themselves in London and proceed to enjoy themselves while they can! Londoners will interpret it slightly differently - this one went down really well in Brixton.

Typical Lyric : 'We were in London - Let's do it - Let's break the law!'


**** E-MAIL

A song about how difficult it is to communicate how you feel to someone with a wistful feel - despite the technologies that make it easier to stay in contact these days, our biggest hurdle is ourselves. A pleasant enough tune, nothing special but it complements the rest of the album.

Typical Lyric : 'Now time and distance melt away, no digital delay, and some things can be written down but we're too shy to say...'


**** THE SAMURAI IN AUTUMN

This track has a more 'typically' Pet Shop Boys sound - a synthesised dance beat in the background, a long intro and lots of nifty tricks from Chris Lowe on the keyboards. It's not one of my favourites, but it slots into the album nicely. The only 'dancey' offering from this album. I have no idea what the bizarre lyrics are all about.

Typical Lyric : 'It's not as easy as it was or as difficult as it could be for the Samurain in Autumn...'


**** LOVE IS A CATASTROPHE

A melodramatic ballad, lamenting the pain that unrequited love can cause. It's a 'showy' kind of song, I can imagine it performed in a musical. Not bad - but a bit
depressing. Don't listen to this if you've just been dumped!

Typical Lyric : 'With life I'm unimpressed. Pain like a cutter's knife, Never been lonelier in my life...'


**** HERE

A comforting, feelgood track, about how home doesn't necessarily have to be just the place where you're currently staying. It's my second favourite track on the album. You'll find yourself humming it in the supermarket. I'd loveb this to be released as a single, but it probably won't be. Ah, well.

Typical Lyrics : 'We all make a mess of our lives from time to time, it's part of the process, you've got to stumble as you climb...'


**** THE NIGHT I FELL IN LOVE

A schoolboy's early sexual experience, and how he feels about it. A gentle, simple melody, nothing really special, but pleasant enough. This is another one that sounds like it should be in a show. A story, rather than just a song.

Typical Lrics : 'Neither of us asked if or when we would see each other again, but that was cool, 'cos I was already late for school by then...'


**** YOU CHOOSE

I don't actually agree with this song's argument - that you choose who you fall for, and can decide not to feel anything for an unsuitable lover. Even so, it's a great song. Very mellow.

Typical Lyrics : You try, you lose, you don't fall in love by chance, you choose...'


SUMMARY

It's not techie, it's not dancey, it's thoughtful and melodic. I love it. If you listen to it with an open mind, and don't expect the 'typical' Pet Shop Boys sound, you might be pleasantly surprised. Tennant's voice is terrific, as always, and the album may not achieve the commercial success that some of their earlier efforts did, but it's one of my favourites.

Summary: