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Very Several years after the very disappointing Behavior the Pet Shop Boys released a strong release which mostly eschewed the influences that made it's predecessor bad. I don't think it's their best work, as some of the songs sound a little tired, as if they were written to follow some formula rather than because they just worked well. Oh, and I just have to mention the unique packaging, and the Devo-ish costumes the Boys put on. It does seem as if they really did try to loosen up and have some fun, and it shows on several of the best songs here. "Can You Forgive Her?" is one of the nice exceptions to my little rule: it's not a dance song, yet it's a close contender for the best song here. Again, the sophisticated lyrics make this fun, as well as truly inspired synthlines that are downright evocative. After this moody piece is one of the happier songs the boys ever did, the grandly titled "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing." It's nice and fast, and definately has a much more "pop" atmosphere than a "new wave" atmosphere, which is a small point against it to me. "Liberation" is a peculiar throwback to Behavior songs. Luckily, it's only one song, and it's the last we hear of that dismal era. "A Different Point of View" should be one of the best songs here, yet somehow it doesn't quite live up to it's promise, sounding a little too formulaic and tired, despite it's initial appearance of energy. The Boys were able to turn out some good, slower, moody tunes for this album, and one of these is "Dreaming of the Queen" which features, yet again, trademark wonderful lyrics that exude that wonderful British snobbery that we Americans always seem to percieve. Also moody and beautiful is "The Theatre," but in between these two is "Yesterday, When I Was Mad" a wonderful song full of energy and life, as well as subtly cynical lyrics and nice vocal delivery. This is definately one of the high points of the cd to me. However, the next two songs, "One and One Make Five" and "To Speak is a Sin" are average, filler-type songs, with slower beats. I like rather more the excitment of "Young Offender" and "One In a Million" and the closing song, "Go West" is extremely fun and unique for a Pet Shop Boys song, taking on some of the atmosphere and vitality of old western Gene Autry and Roy Rogers westerns. The track is also longer than the label says, with a minute or so of silence, and then a strange little choir piece. Overall, the album had some parts that lagged, but it also showed some of the spark of older Pet Shop Boys work, and the moodiness and dark, "new wave-ness" of older cds has been replaced with a sense of fun, for the most part. Coming on the heels of Behavior the album is particularly pleasing, since it's so much better than that one was.