New Single - Loneliness

[y3potential]

Pet Shop Boys are now copying Momus.

https://youtu.be/QUqdAwJgT6s?si=MZWxDVT2uoQrEe86

By that logic they are also copying numerous other artists that have Nonetheless as the album title, especially American trash metal band Hammerhedd.

To take this another step, there's a track on the new album called Love Is The Law, so by that rationale they are copying the Seahorses from the mid 90's...

https://youtu.be/W9jDtwa23mI?si=BB0_l8xUX1AElNot

[Spittingcat]

And they keep giving... b-sides reminding us that PSB still understand why singles matter to us, not just as album promotion.

[Gabby]

And they keep giving... b-sides reminding us that PSB still understand why singles matter to us, not just as album promotion.

The B-sides are great! - better than the single.

But I wish they'd release the single on 12" vinyl and not just CD. It really messes with my collection! lol!

[daveid]

And they keep giving... b-sides reminding us that PSB still understand why singles matter to us, not just as album promotion.

The B-sides are great! - better than the single.

That old chestnut

[Gabby]

And they keep giving... b-sides reminding us that PSB still understand why singles matter to us, not just as album promotion.

The B-sides are great! - better than the single.

That old chestnut

But such a delicious chestnut!

[Spittingcat]

I think the single is as good as the b-sides... well the music is straight away anyway... lyrics haven't caught me yet, unlike the b-sides which are more... er... direct!

Anyway... point is that the b-sides are still as important as album tracks for the fans... and they still get that.

[Ghost within this house]

I think I love Loneliness. It is a bit of a grower, but really, like many of their best things, it is a pure and simple pop song with an insistent euphoric melancholy to the chorus.
Most similar to 'Leaving' as an album opener, I'd say, which is a compliment.
It is a take on the classic PSB sound. The bridge is magnificent. The middle 8 with the sudden drop is one of those heart-stopping moments you live for as a Pethead. I'm glad the lyric is 'Ringo' because when I first listened, I heard 'gringo'..., which weirdly would have worked in context!
On Nickname's inevitable poll, I gave it a 7/10 at 11.30am GMT, but I might just revise that upwards.
I won't listen to the radio edit again. The album version is the bomb.

[Shopper]

After multiple listens, I find Loneliness underwhelming. It has an interesting intro and lyrics (which are on the dot with today's social times) but the production feels so dated and derivative. Atleast the album version feels expansive, couldn't connect with the radio edit.

The B sides tell a different story. Party in the Blitz, sounds so funky and unhinged, but Through You is like WOW. I'm obsessed with the production, the lyrics and vocals are chillingly delivered and I feel it's a companion piece to I'm not Scared

I hope Loneliness is just an outlier, because the song titles, album packaging/imagery are just so brilliant.

[BlueSwan]

Loneliness - This is fine. Not a huge fan of the mixing. It's not as bad as on "Through You", but synth pop just needs more clarity than we get here - clean up that bottom end! I also think the drum programming sounds very lazy, dated and uninteresting. Otherwise the song is fine, but nothing special. Maybe it will grow on me?

"Party In The Blitz" - This is one of the worst things they've ever done. What on earth happened with the previously immaculate PSB quality control? Back in the day even their B-sides were mostly brilliant and the ones that weren't at least felt interesting and worthwhile. That has gone out the window the last 15 years or so. This song is just bad and pointless. Should have been binned.

Through You - This is really "Decide (part II)", which is a good thing given that Decide is the best thing PSB have put out since the Super album. But unfortunately the mixing sounds like it was done by a toddler. Way too much muddy bottom end for this style of music - this ain't trap! Also it is pointlessly long. The verses by Neil are really not needed, I would prefer it to be done more in the vein of Decide with the instrumental being supported by some choice vocals. Still clearly the best thing here.

[y3potential]

Through You is hypnotic. Loving it !! Classic Neil.

[Kiran]

Based on first listen, not something I'm excited about. Having said that, I always take a few listens to decide whether I like something but on first listen, nothing stood out for me as particularly interesting.

[Spittingcat]

Interesting that there's so much negativity around Party in the Blitz... I love it... it's going be as divisive as some of the Elyisum songs like Give it a go and Early stuff, isn't it. Through you is going to be another... "should have been the last track on the album" popular opinion, like Decide.

Anyway, if there's nothing for you in either of these b-sides... perhaps you're lost?

[rashomon]

Have given all three tracks a few listens now - immediate thoughts and ratings

1. Loneliness - 7/10
A decent single to kick us off - pop hook catchy and the bass line is really nice and hope it will get some good airplay. I keep hearing 'Searching for the face of Jesus' in the chorus melody and then it seems to go into 'Pandemonium'. There's a nice Abba-esque flourish that comes in midway as well.
Something about the production reminds me of the work done by Xenomania on Yes. In fact this song could easily fit on that album I think. Wonder if the rest of the album will have that same type of sound.

2. Party in the blitz - 5/10
A b-side through and through but fun nonetheless (yeah I'm gonna start shoehorning that word in and furthermore, will add 'furthermore' wherever I can). Neil sneering line about shrinking dicks and being off your tits made me laugh out loud.

3. Through you - 8/10
Oooh ... the intro and build is pure goosebumps. A menacing and sultry stage is set up - is this what they call 'dark techno'? dunno but I like it ... there is some effortless cool with the guitar twangs (I think guitar) and great layering. Instrumental of this would be superb. Only criticism is it could do with something else going on in the final third especially as it's an extended cut. One other thought - do we have the Neilatron samples here in the opening - remember this: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp5jnPBgKGZ/


Also - do we know if all tracks were produced by James Ford? If so, I think the album holds a lot of promise - lots of variety here and vocals are well separated from the instrumentation in these songs.

[Spittingcat]

I don't think there's anything on the b-sides to suggest they are part of the Ford production. All in computer, no acoustic instruments (I think), drum programming very in house (Lowe+Gleadall).

[daveid]

Given there's more than two months between the single release on 16th February and the album on 26th April, is there time for another pre-album single, early to mid-April?