Yes? Well maybe....

I have now heard all but one of the tracks from the new Pet Shop Boys album 'Yes' and the first word that springs to mind is 'pop'. That 'Girls Aloud' chart fodder type of pop. 

Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with pop, I like pop music, but I still long for the 'electro' album they always threaten to make. When you hire Xenomania to produce your album you are obviously going to end up with a 'pop' recording, yet there are glimpses of what could have been. 

The bassline on 'Did you see me coming?' is quite sublime, 'Love etc' is almost pure electro, ' 'Legacy' has snatches of techno, 'More Than A Dream' could be a house track from 1991 and 'The Way it used to be' is crying out for a DFA remix. 

Yet Neil sings his 'X-factor' styled vocals over pure bubblegum pop backing tracks with an unhealthy dose of Johnny Marr guitar. With every PSB release I seem to raise my hopes that they will recreate 'Please' or 'Disco' in a Kraftwerk/eletro style (imagine my near hysterical excitement at the pre-release of 'Psychological' from 'Fundamental') only to be disappointed.  

However I will take 'Yes' for what it is and enjoy it none the less. In reality I should just be thankful that my favourite group still create new music. I guess 25 years of being a 'pethead' is making me selfish. 

Speaking of 25 years, there is a free CD 'Pet Shop Boys Story: 25 Years of Hits' included in the Mail on Sunday today. If you can face buying such a rag. I recommend you take out the CD and throw the newspaper in the bin immediately.