Electric

This is a great, fresh effort from what is my personal favorite group of all time. As a PSB super-fan, my expectations have been high, especially due to the association with Stuart Price (this guy is a genius as far as I'm concerned!). I only assigned 3 of 5 stars for their last album, Elysium, although in hindsight there were some great tracks that were deserving of a better rating (was more of a 7 out of 10). Their new album I am assigning a 5 star review; it really is a solid 9 out of 10 but I will round up this time.

To sum up the content, overall it is quite dancy and a bit techno/ trancy. It almost feels like an album composed entirely of dance remixes. There are not any slow "whiny" songs, although these sometimes turn out to be the real gems on an album after a few listens. I will be enjoying this album for the rest of the summer, head nodding and finger tapping, but time will tell if it is a classic worth revisiting in future years. The length feels a bit short at only 9 tracks, especially since Axis is basically just a musical track that I have listened to many times since they released the video online. I would have liked to have seen a second disk or bonus disk with more tracks, because the PSBs with Stuart Price combination is a machine that is capable of incredible musical feats. Also, just a minor gripe, but I felt like they altered Neil Tennant's voice on some of the tracks to sound like he is speaking through an old AM radio; that is fine and works as an occasional device, but I would have much preferred to hear more of his pure voice.

On to the tracks:
1. Axis - Mostly electronic music, almost zero vocals, excellent and complex beats and synths. Again, I have been playing this for the last few months since they released the video, and love the track.
2. Bolshy - A classic PSB sound, and not a bad listen. However, the repeated word "Bolshy" gets a little bit tired after hearing it for the 80th time. Although it is one of my least favorites, it still keeps me smiling and enjoying the music.
3. Love is a Bourgeois Construct - My favorite track on the album; A+! A classic PSB type of anthem, full of musical and lyrical complexity. It envokes "British" images and themes, and keeps the beats going with some similarity to the fantastic album Confessions on a Dance Floor (Madonna / Stuart Price).
4. Flourescent - Another nice techno-synth-heavy track. A bit harder hitting than your typical PSB track, but a strong addition for the album.
5. Inside a Dream - Complex beats and synths again rule this track. It feels like a PSB song, with Neil's voice taking command. Classic stuff, and a great track.
6. The Last to Die - This is the cover of the Bruce Springsteen song, which I was not previously familiar with. This excellent track shows the range of the PSBs and their ability to pull in music from unlikely sources. Outstanding musical quality, vocals, and beats make this another favorite.
7. Shouting in the Evening - Possibly the most energetic track on the album, it is lacking in vocals but is as hard hitting as any electronic music this side of Skillrex! Again, not your classic PSB track, but this one will definitely be on my MP3 list for working out.
8. Thursday - A great track, which is another favorite after a few listens. Chris Lowe's vocals add lots to this; although it is mostly a pronouncement of "Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday", the dry style is absolutely reminiscent of the style of their old track Paninaro. I don't particularly care for the rap segment (British rapper Example), but it actually works pretty well and adds some nice variety to the album.
9. Vocal - Neil's vocals power the intro, and then excellent club dance beats kick in. An outstanding track and a great way to cap off the album on a strong note (or two!).

For the die-hard PSB fans this is a no-brainer. For anyone who is looking for some great danceable pop music that is a cut above the rest, give this a shot. For anyone reading this, I also would recommend checking out Empire of the Sun's incredible new album, Ice on the Dune; this entire album is upbeat and would definitely appeal to those who like traditional PSB content. But first buy Electric, and support the PSBs as they prove that they are still a vibrant and relevant force in the synthpop world. Overall an excellent album, and is highly recommended!

Electric is the Pet Shop Boys first release since their break with Parlophone, the label they have been with for pretty much forever. It is also the follow-up to the relatively sedate Elysium (2012). Electric is really the flip-side of Elysium - high energy dance electronica as opposed to the somberness of Elysium. Chris Lowe is quoted on Stereogum as describing the Elysium v Electric dynamic as: "[Elysium] was about being old and all that... whereas [Electric] is all about rediscovering your youth." Many of the tunes on Electric were reportedly written simultaneously with the songs on Elysium and while some folks are calling this a "return to form" record, contrasting somber albums with high energy ones is not new for PSB; compare, for example, Introspective (1988) with its follow-up Behaviour (1990). Producer Stuart Price brings a freshness and vitality to the classic PSB sound on Electric, while the Boys bring a maturity that can only come from 30 years in the business.

Although Electric consists of only nine tracks, these are long tracks, with the majority clocking in at well over 5 minutes and three over 6 minutes.

The album kicks off with a bang with the "electric energy" of the first single, "Axis." This largely instrumental tune is techno dance and has a classic PSB sound. It's fantastic and I imagine most PSB fans are already familiar with it.

Track 2, "Bolshy," is another very electronic song which sounds as though it could have been lifted from Bilingual (1996), while the intro hearkens back to the synth in "The Way it Used to Be" from Yes (2009). It has a nice tempo and I could see it getting some club play, at least in clubs where they still play PSB. The lyrics are weak by PSB standards, loosely referencing Marxist Bolsheviks, but are catchy nonetheless.

You know the third track is a PSB tune from the title alone, "Love is a Bourgeois Construct." The lyric is reportedly based on "Chasing Sheep Is Best Left to Shepherds" from Michael Nyman's score for the 1982 film The Draughtsman's Contract.

"Fluorescent" is a slow-trance 80s house sounding tune characterized by an "airhorn" like synth. Reportedly it was the last song written for Electric.

"Inside a Dream" is one of the less memorable tracks on the album, in my opinion, though it is nice to hear some vocals by Chris, especially after his silence on Elysium.

"The Last to Die" is a slower track and, unusually for PSB, a cover of a Bruce Springsteen tune (from 2007's Magic). It sounds a lot like a Killers tune, as interpreted by PSB, of course.

"Shouting in the Evening" is the shortest track on the albums and is a very dance-oriented buzzy electronic tune which is largely instrumental. It has a nice, slowed down synth section in the middle before driving back up to a frantic, Skrillex-like conclusion. Incidentally, "shouting in the evening" has often referred to acting or performing on stage.

"Thursday" is one of the best tracks on the album, including a great vocal by Neil and excellent backup by Chris, much like his contribution to "Paninaro." The song is also reminiscent of their first hit, "West End Girls." Example provides a rap at about 3:30 into the track which meshes perfectly with the rest of the song. This should definitely be single #3!

The album is bookended by singles; the second, "Vocal," is the closer. It begins with a hypnotic lyric by Neil which segues into a rave-like tune.

In summary, in the modern parlance I'd say this album is "bangin!'" It really is an excellent PSB album and much more what you'd expect from the Boys than what was found on Elysium. I can't recommend it enough. Finally, if you're one of those people who usually hold out for the release of the PSB 2 disc special editions (as I am), word has it that there will not be such a release for Electric, so go ahead and buy it already!