Review: Pet Shop Boys - Nonetheless

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are back at their very best as they unveiled their highly-anticipated 15th studio album and the pair once again remain true to themselves and the audience that has made the Pet Shop Boys a household name. 

I’d be surprised if this album brings the duo any new fans, but that’s okay. The pair know their audience and have catered to it with a colourful set of tracks, which further cements Tennant and Lowe’s statuses as British-pop icons and legends that are continuing to get better and better with a style of music that has remained timeless. 

The soft-spoken Tennant almost plays the role of a narrator in this album as he delivers his lyrics that focus on politics, experiences, love and loneliness with a great deal of conviction. Tennant’s lyrics are complimented perfectly by instrumentals that are made up of a mix of riveting electronic beats, strings and trumpets that make the songs rich in life and character and help them burst into life. 

I’d be lying to you if I said I was an avid listener of the Pet Shop Boys, but I was drawn to this album based on how catchy and thought-provoking the lyrics are. In ‘A Bullet For Narcissus’ - a song which takes a not-so-subtle dig at populism in politics with lyrics such as  “I sometimes think he lives for fame” and that “he only cares about no.1” that remind me of either Rishi Sunak, Donald Trump or Boris Johnson. Depending on who you ask the answer will differ, but I’d lean towards Johnson myself. 

‘Dancing Star’ serves as one of my favourite tracks from the album. It is colourful, vivacious and documents the life of iconic ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, who defected from the Soviet Union and went on to become one of the greatest ballet dancers of his generation.  

‘Loneliness’ pays tribute to Ringo Starr with the lyric “Like Ringo walking by the canal” and serves as a great introduction to the album as it is lively, upbeat, energetic and gives me vibes of Blur’s catalogue. The latter is perhaps unsurprising as the album was produced by James Ford, who has recently produced ‘The Ballad of Darren’ by the legendary Britpop band. 

‘New London Boy’ and ‘A New Bohemia’ serve as the album’s other major highlights for myself. The former documents Tennant’s move to London in the early 1970s as he explored his sexuality and tried to find his identity as a musician. Lyrics such as “who am I and what will I turn to be” and “get yourself noticed, assert your presence. Don’t be afraid, it feels bizarre, this is your time and you are the star” prove particularly thought-provoking. 

As for ‘A New Bohemia', it is elegant, it is finely-crafted and perfectly executed. The orchestra in the background drives the song, complimenting Tennant’s vocals perfectly and the song itself would fit like a glove for a film about regrets.

To close the album the pair finish with ‘Love is the Law’. which seemingly references prostitution with the lyric “love is a profession as old as time” and summarises the feeling of love with the lyric “catch it like a cold, no one is immune” were particularly eye-catching (or ear-catching) in this case. 

Overall, I’d say ‘Nonetheless’ is a very solid album with several highlights, and after four decades at the top of their game shows that the Pet Shop Boys still have a lot more left in the tank.