LOVE, ETC.

Pet Shop Boys

There’s an ancient Pet Shop Boys song called One Thing Leads To Another, and it’s a grubby, dark little tune. It tells the story of a bloke who loses his girlfriend, then his job, and then goes out drinking, where he meets up with someone who isn’t quite what s/he appears to be and finally he crashes his car and buys the farm. That in itself is a more detailed storyline than you’ll find in most songs, however, it gets better. The entire story’s actually played out in reverse, so what really happens is the bloke comes back to life, repairs his car, goes off for a drink with a man who turns out to be a woman, gets a great job and finally his girlfriend moves in with him. Isn’t it nice to have a song with a happy ending... or start... or something? Anyway, that was the sort of thing the Pet Shop Boys were quietly releasing under the radar while most people were busy turning Go West into a football chant. These days, they’re putting out far more straightforward fare, certainly on this evidence at least. The message here is much simpler, and that’s "You don’t have to be ridiculously rich and famous in order to get the person of your dreams (but it certainly doesn’t hurt your chances)." Where they used a huge choir on Go West, the chanting here is provided by what sounds like a couple of blokes on their way to a match - well, look at that, they’ve gone full circle. The tune itself is a bit simple, but then I suppose this is a simple song - there’s nothing grand about it and it doesn’t proudly scream "We’re back!" like I’m With Stupid did for their previous album... mind you, it’s pleasant and likeable enough, and it certainly doesn’t disgrace the band’s repertoire by existing. The most important thing is that it doesn’t sound like a band simply going through the motions, if it did this song would’ve been as exciting as a Party Political Broadcast.

I'M NOT ALONE

Calvin Harris

It’s always good to hear musicians pushing themselves to stay up to date, but you have to feel sorry for Calvin Harris. His first few songs sounded like they’d come straight from a 1980s record box, so he’s had to do a bit more catching up than most. Well, this time round, he’s made it as far as the late 1990s and in anyone’s book, making up an entire decade in the space of a year has to be seen as staggeringly good progress. Aside from the decidedly indie opening, this sounds just like one of those euphoric house tunes that were all over the Ministry of Sound type compilations back in the days when people still bought cassettes and could choose which music shop they were going to buy them from. This is as far removed from Dance Wiv Me as Westlife are from Ace Of Spades, that’s how different it sounds, and do you know what, it’s not bad. In fact, it sounds so entrenched in the nineties it even has rubbish lyrics like all the best dance anthems. Hats off for the attention to detail. This is very strange you know, I’m actually finding myself in the unusual position of looking forward to hearing Calvin Harris’s next single.

UP ALL NIGHT

Take That

This sounds like Simon and Garfunkel meets The Littlest Hobo meets Take That’s very own Shine. It’s cheerful, presses all the right buttons and yet it’s friendly without being interesting. Ah well.