Working together for the first time since the 1988 single "Left to My Own Devices,"
the Pet Shop Boys and producer
Trevor Horn partner together for
Fundamental, an extremely well-crafted effort that is more of its time message-wise than any previous
PSB album.
Fundamental is heavily influenced by Tony Blair's allegiance to
George W. Bush and his dragging of the U.K. into the Iraq War, which has left previously Labour Party-loving vocalist
Neil Tennant bitter and disillusioned. Fully aware that
the Pet Shop Boys would sound ridiculous if angry and punkish,
Tennant and partner
Chris Lowe show restraint, putting their venom on simmer on the most riveting songs and searching for a reason not to stick their head in the sand elsewhere. Surprisingly, the usually extravagant
Horn follows suit, and while he gives the album a very modern, slick sheen, the production is well designed instead of gloriously decorated. Beautifully polished by
Horn, "Luna Park" lazily strolls through a holiday where fortune tellers and fire breathers divert attention from the slowly developing storm. Giving up hope entirely is "Numb," an insular ballad that songwriter
Diane Warren originally gave to the duo for the hits collection
PopArt that's much more at home here. Better still is infectious and uptempo "I'm with Stupid," which casts Blair and
Bush as irresponsible lovers who grin and pose while having their way with the world. It's not the only instantly gripping track -- the paranoid "Integral" speaks out for personal freedom with a wicked hook while the
New Order-esque "Minimal" ranks with their best club cuts -- but the majority of
Fundamental is like the majority of their great album
Behavior in that repeat listens are required to do these rich songs justice. For
Pet Shop Boys fans who lean to the left and are skeptical about the future, this is as close to heaven as they want to be. [A remastered vinyl LP edition of
Fundamental was released in 2017.] ~ David Jeffries