Strange Behaviour (Behavior - Pet Shop Boys)

Member Name: ultras67

Product:	Behavior - Pet Shop Boys
Date:	27/10/01 (80 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A couple of cracking songs

Disadvantages: Bit of a downbeat album

The question is what do we expect of The Pet Shop Boys?

We expect wry observation, deadpan humour; a studied, wry English, cool, ground breaking dance mixes, and maybe a change to that moodier atmosphere to balance it out nicely. While this combination has served them well In the past and has maintained them as virtually the perfect pop group, It seems on the evidence of ‘Behaviour’ that they have taken a different turning. The last album, ‘Introspective’ was (Ironically, of course) sparkling, dramatic uplifting. In comparison, Neil and Chris are now seriously contemplating their navels.

If It wasn’t for that effortless, classic chorus in ‘Being Boring’, one could be forgiven thinking this was a leftover from the Dusty Springfield album sessions, We’re talking downbeat, smooth as a bar of dark Belgian chocolate. And just In case you this was just a quiet moment before the. Disco rollercoaster began Its exhilarating journey, ‘This Must Be The Place’ reinforces the dark, almost ponderous atmosphere and you start to ask why on earth they need to be quite so miserable.

Producer Harold Faltermayer, is probably more famous for his film tunes ( Beverly Hills Cops – Axel F ) Because of this, the arrangements are, not surprisingly, cinematic in feel. Most tracks could quite happily be transferred to the big screen as mournful background music for those moving film moments. ‘Seriously’ injects a lighter pop feel, but it is still cumbersome in comparison with previous efforts.

‘My October Symphony’ is an odd mixture with Johnny Marr’ playing a very ‘7Os guitar break over a lush Love UnIimited style arrangement and a string quartet, the whole thing comes close to self endulgence. ‘So Hard’, comes as blissful relief. Thank God a dance track, and all the better for being distinctly Princely.

The ungainly ‘Nerv
ous’ continues the self examination and ‘End Of The World’ sounds like a track New Order left lying around the studio after ‘World In Motion’. But even this is contemplative ‘Behaviour’ is a bit of fireside album, a bit, well autumnal, really. The sort of record to put on when the nights are drawing in and the leaves are falling, end you’re feeling a bit sad because summer has irrevocably gone.

This is all very well, but Neil Tenant is no Dusty or Liza and he doesn’t really have the strength of vocal delivery to carry off more than a couple of reflective tunes at a time without the old disco dance beats coming to his rescue.

If you were to compare an artists output to life, this would be the mid life crisis, inward looking, retrospective about missed chances or relationships before moving on and growing into old age disgracefully.

The worst album of their career but still worth a listen as compared to other dance/pop groups its still good.

Summary: