Release

Amazon reviews

The Pet Shop Boys eighth studio album Release, though by no means the rock album they threatened, has certainly got enough guitar (courtesy of Johnny Marr) to raise a few snooty eyebrows among synth purists. But that's no bad thing; the duo has never really been an electronic band as such, and the guitars and percussion combine with the keyboards to create a sound that's as sumptuous as it may be unexpected. Neil's voice is far less nasal than it's often been, and the occasional application of that now ubiquitous vocal-wobbling effect (thanks, Cher) actually works very well; the trademark introspective lyrics, while occasionally straying into tweeness, are as poignant as ever. Though--with the exception of the Beatles-esque "I Get Along"--there are no big sing-along anthems here, and nothing that jumps out and screams "single", almost all of the 10 tracks are the kind of song that many better-selling artists would kill their grannies for. Release is a real return to the form that went slightly iffy somewhere between Behavior and Nightlife; it deserves to catapult Pet Shop Boys back to the top of the album charts for a very long time, though it probably won't. --Rikki Price

Content introduction

This CD is available in four different colors--copper, green, pink and red, each embossed with a different flower.

Product Description

A Little Bit Slower Pace for the Longtime Duo who Still Write Some of the Most Lyrically Inventive Songs and Ear Catching Melodies. They Take on Deeper Aspects of Loss, Emotion, Relationships...and Love for Eminem (Oy!). A Disc that Must Be Heard. Familiar Hallmarks Are Here, with More Guitar, Band Oriented Instrumentation as Well. Guest Players Include Longtime Friend Johnny Marr and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead.