NONETHELESS - The reviews of the members of Pet Shop Boys Community

[wieske]

Love is the law
but you can’t regulate it
The desire is so strong
and you won’t moderate it
That one’s a gambler
This one’s a thief
Both make it easy
and that’s a relief

In my opion, these are, in combination with the orchestration, some of the most beautiful and emotional lyrics written by Neil... It brings tears to my eyes again and again, can't help it.

[shaunh7]

Loneliness - 7/10 Not a great choice as a single for me, works much better as an album track especially as it's longer and has more chance to breathe.
Feel - 8.5/10 Killer chorus
Why am I dancing - 9/10 The spiritual successor to "I wouldn't normally...." Makes me want to dance and cry at the same time.
New London boy - 8/10 Sweet song, love the rap
Dancing star - 8/10 Great choice as a second single, only fault is it's not long enough!
A new bohemia - 9.5/10 The chorus has a stunning melody, very moving.
The schlanger hit parade - 8/10 If PSB went eurovision.... great pop song!
The secret of happiness - 8/10 So dreamy and summery.
Bullet for Narcissus - 6.5/10 The weakest song but it's growing on me, would have had an extra point if Hooky had played on it!
Love is the law - 9.5/10 Simply stunning, a real grower.

I love Neil's multi layered vocals on this album. The production is wonderful, lush with lot's of warmth.

[CroMagnon]

Given how light and optimistic the album is, it’s a bit puzzling they chose to end it on a dark note with Love is the law. Is it the optimism of life, especially as a young person, often takes on a somber tone as we enter adulthood? It’s a great song, but doesn’t really fit the rest of the concept.

It's interesting that people are saying Nonetheless is optimistic. For me, all of the songs, apart from The secret of happiness, are classic happy/sad affairs. Songs that sound happy or optimistic on first listen (e.g. Feel and Schlager) have dark underbellies in the lyrics: Neil has a prisoner boyfriend in Feel, and Germany is attempting to forget its WW2 sins through trashy pop in Schlager. New London boy is full of self-doubt and uncertainty. Dancing star is a celebration of Nureyev, but the pathos of his passing is lurking. Loneliness is an exhortation to someone to take a chance on love, maybe with Neil himself, but it will only be to 'help them out', not as part of some great love story. And, as you say, Love is the law is dark and sinister, love and sex as a requirement, no more.

[Vince]

My favs in order are

Dancing Star (very 80s PSB)

Why Am I Dancing (love that trombone/trumpet bit. reminiscent of Delusions of Grandeur.)

The secret of happiness (love the jazzy easy listening vibe)

Loneliness (Anthemic, like Pandemonium)

Feel (melodic + uplifting chorus)

New London Boy (rap/rap music is a complete rip-off of The Message, which is fab. Bassline/beat sounds reused from Out Of My System, which is a fav of mine)


Overall I feel it's a very easy listening album. Lyrically i think it shows Neil's age/experiences. Their most easy-listening, and most "growing older" lyrics since Elysium, and would be a perfect sequel to it. Which is odd considering Elysium was 12 years ago!

[MikeyC]

Why Am I Dancing (love that trombone/trumpet bit. reminiscent of Delusions of Grandeur.)

We should find out! Is it a real trombone or trumpet? Is it electronic? Definitely curious!!

[Tenlow]

Info in advance:

This is a direct 1:1 translation of my review written in German on the German PSB forum and since I was too lazy to translate it all into English myself, I used an online translator So it definitely doesn't read as well as in my native language, but never mind.


Nonetheless (English version)

Loneliness (9/10)

A beautiful, calm and elegant beginning, which quickly transforms into a PSB-typical mixture of upbeat, strings, melancholic, reflective lyrics and Neil's unmistakable voice. Great backing vocals, very well produced, typical James Ford elements such as those recently found on Jessie Ware and snappy horns on top. Musically, it also reminds me a little of "Pandemonium".

The ending from the last "When you gonna not say no and make the answer yes? / Who is here to help you turn your back on loneliness?" including the trumpets and the slow fade-out afterwards is great.

"Loneliness" was the right choice for the first single of this new era. A song that, as so often before, works on several levels. Whether it is the loneliness felt and experienced before society and coming out, or the loneliness that has made life difficult for many people during the coronavirus pandemic, is up to the listener. "Everybody needs time to think / Nobody can live without love". Sometimes simplicity really is the highest form of perfection. Strong song and strong opener.

Feel (6/10)

"Feel" is certainly not a bad song, but for me it's not as great as I had hoped in advance. When I read that the song had been in the drawer since the PopArt era and could/should have been one of the candidates for a PopArt single, my expectations were already very high. Too high, as it has now turned out. "Feel" is no "Miracles" and no "Flamboyant", even if the lyrics are sometimes recognizably similar to the former song. "There's a fresh winter breeze / On the terrace it feels / Like a Rossetti frieze..." has something of "Thunder is silent before you / Roses bloom more to adore you too" or "The sunset is deeper and longer / The scent of the jasmine is stronger".

Despite the once again wonderful strings, "Feel" is somehow too "underproduced" for me, sounds too much like a demo + strings. It may be due to the somewhat cheap beat or the drums, but it sounds a bit like a midi file in parts, concealed and greatly enhanced by the orchestra. It also has something of "The Most Incredible Thing" about it. Neil also sings a little too "whiny" and high-pitched for me at times. It suits the emotions, the love and the lyrics, but it's not necessarily my favourite register for Mr. Tennant. "You make me feel like nobody else can". Well, that's just the way it is sometimes. There it is again, this simplicity. For me, however, not in absolute perfection in this one, especially not when I'm adding up all the points of criticism I have with the song. It’s a slightly better “You are the one” and not much more for me, unfortunately.

Why am I dancing? (6,5/10)

And the loneliness is back yet again, if it was even ever gone on the album up to this point. Another beautiful brass right at the beginning. Somewhat generic beats again. The production reminds me a little of a mixture of "The Most Incredible Thing" and the "You've got to start somewhere" demo. In my opinion, the strings do help massively again. It’s what big parts of "Nonetheless" are about in my book, production-wise.

"Why am I dancing / When I'm here alone? / I can feel the tears in my eyes / My comfort zone / Why am I dancing / When I'm so alone? / Maybe I can celebrate / On my own?"

That said, dancing to positive-sounding pop music with tears in my eyes, caused by whatever, has been part of the deepest PSB DNA for me for decades and is also part of my personal comfort zone - it will always work for me, I guess. Whether the dancing has to be naked at the same time, I'm not sure. I'll probably have to put on "The Rite of Spring" and give it a try. A simple but effective melody without any major surprises and, despite all the criticism, it's all still quite well produced. It dances on the razor's edge of cheesiness. Nevertheless, a solid to good album track.

New London Boy (7.5/10)

Who am I? / And what will I turn out to be? Neil asks at the beginning of this very autobiographical song. Even though this song is essentially about Neil and his youth, these are questions that most people probably ask themselves or have asked themselves in one way or another. Sufficient depth is offered, but at first glance in a superficial, abbreviated and simply formulated way. A well-known specialty of Neil, which may sometimes look simple but is all the more difficult to master. Not many people in pop music can do that.

James Ford didn't try to make PSB sound forcefully modern here, or indeed on the whole album, quite the opposite in many cases, but he also didn't overload the songs and throw a wall of sound at the listener, which I give him a lot of credit for. The songs can breathe, unfold and create an effect. Of course, this works particularly well in an atmospheric, narrative song like "New London Boy". A few electronic gimmicks reminiscent of "Vulnerable" from the "Yes" album, a genuine "rap" part like in "West End Girls", great lyrics (“Skinheads will mock you / Call you a fag / Last laugh is yours / There's a brick in your bag / Follow the style / Plastic and showy / Everyone's dancing / To Roxy and Bowie”) and some real Courtney Pine moments towards the end transport you back to Wembley Arena 1989 for a few seconds. Again, Neil sings a bit too high for me in some places, but so what. I like it better with every listen.


Dancing star (9/10)

A clear single, of course, despite all the prophecies of doom from the communities. An absolute catchy tune that sounds like a very good (!) Please B-side - a level that was by no means always achieved on singles with such regularity in later times. It sounds like early Madonna, like ‘Domino Dancing’ and like ‘Why don't we live together?’. Neil and Chris are allowed to serve this up until the last breath and the last keystroke. Superficially and without ‘prior knowledge’, as an inclined ‘normal person’ you might think ‘ah yes, the Pet Shop Boys are singing about dancing and stars and stuff again, that’s soo... original...’ But it wouldn't be Neil if it wasn't about the life of Rudolf Nureyev while dancing to early New York house beats in just about 3 minutes. Please, name me one lyricist/songwriter/composer who writes a pop single about Nureyev using the words ‘Amalfi’, ‘Siberia’, ‘barrier’, ‘Orly airport’, ‘KGB’, ‘political asylum’, ‘somber men’ and ‘scandal’ and who rhymes ‘dancing star’ with ‘more power than a tsar’ in the chorus, while the rest of the band makes sure it catches your ear and you can even, yes, dance to it. I'll wait until then... Oh no, come on, I won't. There's a minimal deduction in rating because it could have easily been a minute longer. Nonetheless, ‘Dancing star’ is a fantastic pop single, an album highlight and creates real anticipation for the new ‘Dreamworld’ shows in a few weeks time.


A new bohemia (10/10)

Another fan-dividing affair, it seems to me. For me, ‘A new bohemia’ is the ‘Jealousy’, the ‘The survivors’, somehow also the ‘Leaving’ or the ‘Breathing Space’, even the ‘Hoping for a miracle’ of this record. None of these are automatic or clear 10/10 songs and, of course, especially not for everyone, but practically everything is great for me with this song. A wonderful melody, beautiful strings to die for, which for some might be close to kitsch, a thoughtful, melancholic and reflective Neil and truly great lyrics. I'm delighted that this will be the third single on the album!

‘Your only friend is a memory of a dream’

‘Kamikaze eyes / locked in a trance / improvising / a wild hypnotic dance
Where have they gone, les Petites Bon-Bons? / Who dances now to their sweet old song?
I wish I lived my life free-and-easier / I need to find a new bohemia’

Dramatic, longing retrospection of the past, things that can no longer be changed, of what and how it used to be and how it no longer is or can be. A change to the here and now follows:

‘Every day is a warning / evening might forget / Then the following morning has / the sweet smell of regret / I'm always in love / I'm easily led / My life is a mess / like an unmade bed’

To cut a long story short: Simply marvelous from the first to the last second!


The schlager hit parade (5/10)

Perhaps one of the weaker moments on the album, but still good enough to beat the weaker moments of the previous albums for me personally. I was already worried and had a slight stomach ache when the title leaked that a new "Wedding in Berlin" or "Ego Music" was waiting for us. That said, I wouldn't necessarily need tracks like this one here in album length, so I hope that the real PSB “Schlager” album will never see the light of day in the future.

"The schlager hit parade" is a tongue-in-cheek Schlager parody that doesn't take itself too seriously, but at the same time is a perfectly serviceable pop/Schlager song. A few delicate "Release"-like guitar sounds at the beginning, then a super catchy and easily digestible melody, sing-along potential in the chorus, pop clichés and references left and right (for example Heino, Germans will know him, with "If you think you're going down / in hazel, black and brown"), "Glühwein, Wurst and Sauerkraut", sun here, speedboat there, everywhere is either a wedding or Christmas, everything is "sexy, sexy, sexy", sunshine and an ideal world of Schlager. The Schlager oozes out of every pore and from all sides. Here at least the Schlager discussion, which was still justified to some extent with "Purple Zone" (in the German community that is), is completely superfluous. But Neil wouldn't be Neil if "Shangri-La" or lines like "The future is forever / Let's not dwell on the past / Gesundheit to Europa! / Let's hope it's gonna last" would have made it into even such a song. On top of that, it's a bit like a Schlager version of "It doesn't often snow at christmas". All in all, not bad, not really good, but thankfully not a total failure either. With this in mind, let’s breathe a sigh of relief and "everyone rejoice"!


The secret of happiness (7/10)

A rather unusual PSB song and therefore also very fascinating. Is this lounge music? Bossa nova? Jazzy classical music? What would be most comparable song in the PSB canon so far? "If love were all"? "It always comes as a surprise"? The positive counterpart to "Love is a catastrophe"? Questions upon questions.

A mixture of romance, chill-out, opulence, grandeur, beauty, poetry, languour, kitsch and, once again, the omnipresent love. Finding the secret of love in and for a person. Direct access to this song is about as easy as this endeavour. It took me several listens, no question. But these proved to be very rewarding and enriching. A beautifully produced, romantic piece of music, very sublime and somehow majestic as it flows along. Close your eyes and dream of a beach bar somewhere in Cuba on a lazy summer evening? It somehow works too. Fascinating.

Incidentally, "The secret of happiness" could easily have been included on the latest Arctic Monkeys album "The Car". Alex Turner could have easily sung it and put it on there and nobody would have noticed. Produced by whom, by the way? That's right. James Ford. There you go.

"The haze of summer / makes a halo / around your face with light" or "Northern skies / and butterflies / It's still light at ten / Moon is rising / Trees are sighing / poetry again".

Sums it up pretty well, I guess.


Bullet for Narcissus (7/10)

Thematically quite a cut and a change more in the direction of "Agenda". I liked the title of the song the first time I heard about it. I also like the fact that the song is told from the perspective of one of Mr. Trump's bodyguards. However, the lyrics here leave little room for other interpretations and are almost too direct and obvious.

"This narcissus, his power is his dream / His politics are simply mean / He doesn't trust what he hasn't seen / He's so banal, he's made it mainstream / I see the tension in his eyes / The accusations he denies / I wonder if he's realized / that right behind him he's despised"

Apart from that, there is a beautiful, recurring, albeit simple, guitar theme that is favourably reminiscent of New Order, or to some extent of "This must be the place I waited years to leave", without even coming close to the brilliance of the latter in particular. A typical, somewhat simple and PSB by numbers beat slapped over it and (almost) done. Without the strings, this song would probably have been a 5-6 out of 10 for me, but as things stand today, they save the day again for me here. I love the bit right after "he only cares for number one" when the strings really kick in again to the beat and carry the song right through to the end.


Love is the law (10/10)

An absolute gem of a song and one of the best Pet Shop Boys album closers ever for me. A complicated piece of music, but with a magical, brute force that is unrivalled on the album and has not often, if ever, been heard or achieved in this form by the PSB in their career. Dissonant, dark and complex. Tragic, melancholic and mystical. Beguiling, disturbing and with a fabulous seriousness.

"It comes and goes / ebbs and flows / Love's a profession / plied beneath the moon / It waits and watches / weaves and dodges / Catch it like a cold / No one is immune".

Love in all its forms always finds its way, there is no escape. Sooner or later, this happens to everyone, you know?. It has its own laws and at the same time is its own law. The song unfolds its tremendous power from the combination of the best lyrics on the album and the wonderful, mysterious and magnificent orchestral arrangement right up to the grand finale. Perhaps it doesn't fit in well here, but does anyone know the song "Zum Meer" by german singer Herbert Grönemeyer from the 2002 album "Mensch"? It's also the album closer and musically not dissimilar to the PSB track here in many respects. Why you (rightfully) ask? I don't know, it just popped into my head immediately. Let's continue.

"From wiser lips / I've heard it said / love is a profession / as old as time / Watch it and learn it / Study it and earn it / You've a head for business / and a heart for crime / And every night / there's a busy trade / Love is the law / that must be obeyed / And every day / the price is paid / Love is the law / and a trick of the trade."

Here, the quality of "This must be the place I waited years to leave" from the masterpiece "Behaviour", which I just mentioned, is ultimately achieved for me. That alone and in itself is an outstanding compliment for a fairly ageing pop duo in the late autumn stages of their career. An unbelievably good conclusion to what is, for me, an outstanding late work PSB album.

Thank you Neil, thank you Chris and many thanks also to Mr. James Ford. It was the right and long overdue step away from Stuart Price and towards new shores.

Conclusion: 77 out of 100 points, so somewhere between 7.5 and 8 points on album length with practically no total failures, a very coherent production and general atmosphere and the usual strong lyrics. And all that after 40 years. Just please don't ever stop you two marvelous boys, do you hear me? Thank you.

[rashomon]

My thoughts after several listens over the weekend ...

Loneliness 7/10

The perfect opener for this album. The bell sound is beautiful and the middle section missing from the single edit is much needed to allow the song to breathe. This one has two contrasting sets of lyrics in quality - first up ‘When are you gonna not say no and make the answer yes’ which to my ears is awfully clunky and always takes me out of the song … and then we have the dreamy ‘Everybody needs time to think, Nobody can live without love’.,

Highlight: The bell sound - which I would have loved to hear as the very last note of the track



Feel 10/10

I adore this one …. loved it on first hearing and it is fast becoming one of my all time faves. The bass line, Kraftwerkesque sounds and soaring synth on the chorus … oh! and those little synth squeaks that play throughout. I think this is the ‘miracles track’ they mentioned in the Rylan interview - it has that same optimistic, shimmer.

Highlight: 'Sometimes a look speaks more than you say'


Why am I dancing? 9/10

Wow! that horn fanfare intro - goosebumps. Even though it shares a lot of the DNA of Love is a bourgeois construct, it’s such a bop. It is the perfect length - any longer and I think I’d get tired of it.

Highlight: The horns coming back in as the song closes out


New London Boy 9/10

The quality just doesn’t drop off does it?! A slight shift of pace and a welcome one at that. Lovely verses and chorus. The rap is great but it’s the very clear callback to Grandmaster Flash that I love the most in this section. I’m waiting for a mash up of West End Girls and this one … those raps were made to be interwoven somehow. The sax is such a great layer that adds more interest near the end.

Highlight: The rising synth notes that play from around 30 seconds in - genius!


Dancing Star 8/10

A familiar friend but feels fresh in the context of the album. Felt quite short as a single but works really well here in that length.

Highlight: Those retro sounds, breaks, orchestral stabs … awesome!


A new bohemia 10/10

A slow build and then my goodness the drums and strings arrive and I'm entranced. The song is a majestic moment on the album and an instant classic for me. It has the Wichita Lineman ending that was mentioned in previews as well which I love. I won’t be surprised if we get an instrumental version of this as b side.

Highlight: The whole chorus with the string section but especially the line 'I wish I’d live my life free and easier' ... brings a lump to my throat.


The schlager hit parade 6/10

Starts off like a Release era track but switches up once the bass line kicks in. I really wish Neil could have come up with another word instead of ‘Christmas’ - it just jars in April. A fun track and the low point of Nonetheless ... it is still listenable in the context of the album.


Highlight: 'The future is the present now' … has shades of Integral/Minimal for me


The secret of happiness 7/10

Sounds much like a show tune and I wasn’t enamoured with it overly on first listen. A bit of a grower though and I appreciate the slightly different mood this one brings to the album. I still wish it was a minute shorter though as it meanders along on that river for too long. Definitely agree with the reviews referencing John Barry and Burt Bacharach here.


Highlight: Neil's exclamation of ‘Butterflies!’ and the twinkling synths at the start

Bullet for Narcissus 8/10

Wake up! Brilliant sequencing after TSHO … clears out the cobwebs for sure. The string interlude is brilliant three-quarters of the way in … very 70s disco. Yet, another example where the arrangement moves up a notch just when you need to hear something different.

Highlight: 'I’ve got eyes in the back of my head' - cool line and even better delivery. Has that detached but cool way of signing that Neil used to employ in much of their early stuff.


Love is the law 10/10

A perfect closer as many have stated but it’s an incredibly atmospheric song on its own merit. One of those wise uncle Neil observation numbers with a huge but never overwhelming orchestral arrangement. Neil’s vocals are so plaintive and heartfelt here. The lyrics are some of the best on the album and it’s stunning how the outro feels so connected but take us off somewhere different.

Highlight: The single piano chord/note that is played through the song - ominous and brooding.


Album 9/10

It’s a beautiful and cohesive piece of work with amazing songs, wonderful lyrics and atmosphere. Neil is on fine form and Chris is still delivering those special chord changes and melodies. The album is a dream and absolutely flies by when listening end to end. I think the perfectly sequencing of tracks helps a lot in terms of the overall impact.

James Ford has brought something special to proceedings. The lush strings, old synths and real instruments have worked wonders acting as a perfect accompaniment … never intruding or overwhelming. I really hope we get an instrumental version of this album at some point.

I feel incredibly grateful to Neil and Chris that we have more beautiful songs to soundtrack the next stages of our lives. Pinching myself that we are still getting such amazing music so deep into the boys career.

Nonetheless fills me with optimism for the future ...

[Patrick Bateman]

It's a very consistent album, both tonally and in terms of quality. That's something a lot of the post-imperial albums struggled with - a Metamorphosis, Beautiful people or Wedding in Berlin would invariably pop up to spoil the experience (though at least the latter is the final track).

My three favourite tracks are A new bohemia, Love is the law and Loneliness. Bullet for Narcissus would be my choice for a fourth single; they could really have some fun with the sleeve and video.

[TallThinMan]

I had another couple of listens today. The sequencing of the songs on this album is absolutely superb. They flow wonderfully.

[Spittingcat]

Agree on the sequencing... as always I've played around with my own sequence... but this time it's just for fun.

[Gnomic]

What a PSB-week it's been! Love the album. All songs are good for different reasons and very singalong-able. Here's my tuppence worth of details I love about it:

*The fabulous intro and outro of Why am I dancing. My favourite song on the album. "Maybe I can celebrate on my own?"

*The lyrical and rhythmic brass (flugel/trombone?) bit before the last verse of Secret of Happiness, "Northern skies ... It’s still light at ten". Really nice.

*The catchiness of Bullet for Narcissus. "He's so banal, he's made it mainstream".

*The fun and cheeky Schlager: "Healthy, happy girls and boys"

*The line "My life is a mess like an unmade bed" (New Bohemia)

*The church-y harmony at the end of the album (Love is the Law) stops you in your tracks and is slightly unnerving. (I've always said I want to die to Allegri's Miserere, the one with Roy Goodman.)

BTW, someone commented in a thread about the Manchester (or London?) in-person thing, that the queue was really friendly. My cousin (a "casual") said something similar after we'd been to Leeds Dreamworld last summer. We were in the standing area. Afterwards he commented on how friendly and un-pushy the crowd were. I agree. But glad the FT journalist commented on huge blokes filming the whole thing on their phones right in front of you. This is my common experience at concerts (I'm a relatively short female). I get filming a bit; I do it myself. But not the whole bloody thing without caring who's behind you.

[Pod]

Still not getting the love for a new Bohemia at all.

Glad some like it though.

[joncool5]

Still not getting the love for a new Bohemia at all.

Glad some like it though.

Agree, I'm struggling a bit with this song at this moment in time. Sounds a bit M.O.R. to my ears

[Vintage Youth]

BTW, someone commented in a thread about the Manchester (or London?) in-person thing, that the queue was really friendly. My cousin (a "casual") said something similar after we'd been to Leeds Dreamworld last summer. We were in the standing area. Afterwards he commented on how friendly and un-pushy the crowd were. I agree. But glad the FT journalist commented on huge blokes filming the whole thing on their phones right in front of you. This is my common experience at concerts (I'm a relatively short female). I get filming a bit; I do it myself. But not the whole bloody thing without caring who's behind you.

That was me, I it was my friend (also a casual) who was with me made the comment, I wasn't surprised by the friendliness! There was also space-holding for solo attendees who needed the bathroom/a drink etc.
As a diminutive female, I feel your pain, but generally people are quite respectful if I politely point out that I can't see a thing. Apart from the dude at OMD who stood in front of me and took selfies. I'm in the background of a few of them, pulling silly faces.

Neil did say on Friday that the Leeds crowd were full on!

[WICKFORDBOY]

this album ticks all the right boxes. for anyone who knows andersens bar in skiathos i could see this album being on a loop in the evenings there just listening to the laid back vibes it really is a thing of beauty. as someone of s certain age this to me is their getting old album. its certainly could have been a follow up to behaviour