Pet Shop Boys - Hotspot [X2 Recordings]

After taking a closer look at their "Dreamland" single as a first outtake from their most recent longplayer in December, 2k19 it is now time for us to fully inspect "Hotspot", the new full length album created by SynthPop / ElectroPop staples that are the Pet Shop Boys. With their third album produced by Stuart Price the duo serves a ten track, 42 minute spanning menu of goodness and well... even 37 - !!! - years after their first self-titled demo cassette the UK's most famous and most successful duo is still on fire. Sticking true to their dramatic, dancefloor oriented trademark sound they've employed from day dot the duo of Chris Lowe and Neill Tennant deliver big time with killer singles like "Will-O-The-Wisp", the anthemicly uplifting "Happy People" or the heavily Disco-infused "Monkey Business" whilst beautiful love songs like "You Are The One", "Only The Dark" or the slightly dubbed out, captivating "Hoping For A Miracle" bring out the more romantic, ballad'esque and surely classy side of the Pet Shop Boys' musical universe once again, proving why they're still one of the worlds most beloved outfits of all time. Yet, apart from making slight adjustments in terms of production techniques to make their songs still suitable for today's dancefloor the album doesn't deliver anything groundbreakingly new or experimental but caters exactly what one would expect from the boys in 2k20 - no matter if you haven't been following all the way through since the 80s or haven't paid attention for a decade or more. 'Never change a winning team or a formula that's working well', they say and this is exactly true for what makes the Pet Shop Boys' career one of the most consistent and long lasting in Pop Music history ever. Jolly good.