From its presence alone and the cover – for which we should judge everything – this latest Pet Shop Boys album is defiant. In spite of it all, here is another. Nonetheless is a bold and consistent project as is the duo behind the album. A thumping synth and rising strings give album opener and lead single Loneliness the tenacity expected of Neil Tenant and Chris Lowe. Celebrating the diverse emotions which drove them to this point in their careers marks a rewarding and touching experience. The pair is on hand to bleed electronics into orchestra collectives and mount a personal charge in its lyrical power. Their Berghain influences from Hotspot linger slightly but the aftereffects of stumbling out of the notoriously strict and elusive club guide these pieces. Stumble out into the blinding light with Feel and see the collection of wannabe sensations queued up for the potential time of their lives.
Pet Shop Boys has not reinvented their sound with this but focused on the fundamentals. Electronics meets string is why these pieces work and those sprinklings of hopeful bits of noise bolster the repetition of Feel. Certainty in the face of potential is a bold feeling and Nonetheless is full of this. Starting new lives away from the clattering failures of such confidence on Why Am I Dancing? brings the tensions of reality into play. Pet Shop Boys toys with reminiscent glory days and figures out a path through the thick fog of nostalgia. New London Boy marks a deeply personable and flicker of the hot streak which brought on hits like It’s a Sin and Jealousy. What people of the time wanted and understood – a queer coding adapted to the dances through Camden Town as David Bowie and Roxy Music soundtracks the budding potential of a cultural scene on the rise.
Slick acoustic work on The Schlager Hits the Parade comes out of nowhere and is a welcome sound. Pet Shop Boys are on a hopeful curve, one where they understand and acknowledge their past but refuse to look back. To do so in the case of this mega-pop duo would be fatal. They have strived for perfection once more and come through with neat acoustic inclusions and the tremendous percussion-guided tempo of The Secret of Happiness. Album closer Love is the Law has a fear stemming from within. The night is still young and there is no closure to be found. It strikes up those moments of directionless seconds making all the difference. Learn the tricks of the trade as Tenant maintains here. Chris Lowe remains an essential part of the instrumental sections, tinkering away in the background and feeding smooth and memorable instrumentals to Tenant who once more leads the charge, making the case for strong synth-pop yet again.
Tenant questioned the lack of “famous songs” from pop sensation Taylor Swift and, with Lowe, pieces together ten more with the potential to boom as big as their best. Loneliness particularly has the club scene boom underneath it – a classic strike of Pet Shop Boys quality. Nonetheless is an intense piece as it sounds like Pet Shop Boys has realised they are not the fossils they were worried about becoming. Their fear was clear to hear on Hotspot but the duo is back on top and filled with questions on reflection and sex. Nonetheless is as ambitious as the rest of Pet Shop Boys’ discography but with a maturity and focus that saw slight kindling on their previous record. Four years of fundamental changes to their work – from Tenant learning to program and Lowe having a hands-on go at cementing an already intense legacy – Nonetheless serves as an exceptionally open Pet Shop Boys experience.
