'Dancing Star' is brilliant, instantly better than 'Loneliness' for me and I love how much it leans in to their 80s sound!

This new one doesn’t have the best lyrics, I’m finding it a bit naff on first play. Much prefer Loneliness.

Love 'Loneliness', but I think this might be a rare miss for me :(

big mis-step for me, silly lyrics and a carbon copy of domino dancing but not as great

I would prefer more of loneliness sound and im hoping the album is more like that thandancing star.

Dancing star isn’t as good as loneliness. It’s not as catchy and just a bit daft tbh.

It will be interesting to see how the album goes for them now they are back on a main label, id love them to get a number 1 album, its hard to believe they have only ever had one number 1 album throughout the years with Very in 1993 so a number 1 album 31 years later would be really nice.

I think could easily achieve a #1 album if they pick the right week (I haven't checked the release schedule to see who they might be up against).

Just dawned on me that the production on 'Loneliness' sounds rather like this:

 

I think could easily achieve a #1 album if they pick the right week (I haven't checked the release schedule to see who they might be up against).

Just seen that they're up against Taylor's second week so they've got next to no chance of #1 :lol:

Dancing Star is pleasant but not as ear grabbing as Lonilness.

Solid album on first listen!

 

It does lose me a bit towards the end, but I think I just need to invest more time in it. There's also some seriously errr lyrics scattered across the album, but I can overlook that.

 

'The Schlager Hit Parade' is wonderfully bonkers.

This is their best album in a long time! A real nod back to their 80s sound, some really strong melodies despite some slightly questionable lyrics as Aly mentioned. Will definitely be returning to this album a lot this year :D

I'm not sure I'm quite as sold on this but I'll see if it grows. I like Loneliness, a New Bohemia and Feel. I quite liked New London Boy, Why am I Dancing? and Love is the Law. A lot of the rest was a bit too cringy for me. I'd rather have Sense of Time on the album (the b-side to Dancing Star) than most of the tracks that made it.

 

 

Not sure what I make of the new versions of the older tracks that are on the furthermore EP either. Being Boring kind of works for being different and sounding like the new album style... but none of them are really a patch on the originals.

I quite like the main album. Feel and New London Boy are great and I did really liked The Schlager Hit Parade, as well as the genre that influenced it :lol:

 

I felt the album lose me towards the end but I'll stick with it as it had potential.

 

I got the Deluxe CD with Furthermore but wasn't overly fussed with the new mixes. I liked the Heart version but I've never been that huge on the original, whereas the other songs all just sounded inferior to their perfect originals. Being Boring I just found odd, as it's such a tender, beautiful song, that to have it hi-NRG with crowd noises at the start felt jarring to me.

Its a fairly solid album and their best in a while, The Schlager Hit Parade is bonkers good, i also really like a new bohemia and why am i dancing. Feel and love is the law im starting to like more with each listen.

Hopefully the album can go top 3 this week or maybe number 2 behindctaylors 2nd week.

A New Bohemia is the biggest grower for me. Musically it reminds me of Soup from the Musik project they released in 2019, sung by Frances Barber. Apparently Neil said somewhere that it's the next single.

Number 2 in the mids with over 18k sales which seems to be up on their last album or two sales wise, on many other weeks that would be enough for number 1, shame they have released on the wrong week as they could have got another long awaited number 1.

It should manage at least 20k now for this week.

Been ages since I played an album, so let's play the new CD, Nonetheless, and review:

 

1. LONELINESS

 

A good single, sounds a good starter, though it's not one of my top chart-topping PSB bangers, but it's pretty timeless in topic and sounds fine.

 

2. FEEL

 

Nice strings and self-harmonies on the intro. Great hook, the verses are more low-key, relationships or the lack of seems to be the theme so far.

 

3. WHY AM I DANCING?

 

Ooh synth horns. Classical vibes in the arrangement outside the dance beats. Lyrically, clearly influenced by Lockdown, and builds nicely. So far the biggest opportunity for Single 3.

 

4. NEW LONDON BOY

 

Lush. Still got the knack for a melody that tugs at my heartstrings. Lovely chords. Then break for a pseudo-West End Girls rap. Back to the melodic lushness, and the lyrics are more observational young man in town tale, seemingly.

 

5. DANCING STAR

 

Single 2, Rudolf Nuryev biographical, more historical new boy with talent in town, a proper late 80's sounding Pet Shop Boys single, Domino Dancing-rhythmed, does everything right, ticks the box, tops my personal chart, and links thematically in with New London Boy.

 

6. A NEW BOHEMIA

 

First ballad, missing hipster commentary, change and the passing of time. Comes across as extending on the Dancing Star passing of a former age. Again, pretty lush, and downbeat. Nice.

 

7. THE SCHLAGER HIT PARADE

 

Acoustic guitar intro and singalong, and we are in Berlin and a night out, due to my many many Gran Canaria holidays, German oompah pah drunken singalongs and karaoke are something I have experienced. Always seems to be 1975 there. An oddity without a real hook, but interesting. Could make a Christmas single.

 

8. THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS

 

And we are suddenly into Cassio rhythms from the 70's, and muzak flirting, famously the sounds of endless elevator piped-in music, and fits in with the Schlager retro theme, so far we seem to be themed into trios, this is more whimsical than the previous tracks, but with a tinge of sadness - but the 60's Easy Listening finale seems to be upbeat and happy-ending. I really like this, I do love my orchestrated 60's coffee-table tunes and it's not as if anyone does them anymore!

 

9. BULLET FOR NARCISSUS

 

Another guitar intro, twangy variety and a great beat, lyrically a dig at wannabe dictators in general or one in particular, I'd say. Putin looms large, perhaps. Short and punchy without a singalong vibe.

 

10. LOVE IS THE LAW

 

A drop in tempo for the second ballad to end the album. Seems an odd choice to go out on such a downbeat track. A slow orchestral fade-out, but I'd have gone with dandy's suggestion of Dancing Star B side Sense Of Time as adding a bit more oomph and it would followed on from Narcissus mood-wise, and lyrically fits in with the themes of lost eras of the past and dancing to get through emotional and other stuff.

 

Overall, though, a good album. It's not up there with my top PSB albums, but it's still quality. Fave tracks on one hearing New London Boy and The Secret Of Happiness.