GROOVE OUT THE BOYS ARE BACK by Dan Avery

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe adopt a sparer sound on Release
In the early ’80s, when the Pet Shop Boys hit the American charts with “West End Girls,” they were part of a small invasion of British acts importing pop music with an unapologetically gay sensibility—a group that included Erasure, Bronski Beat, Soft Cell, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Twenty years later, most of those groups have disbanded or slipped into relative obscurity, but Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are still going strong. Their eighth album, Release, continues the Boys’ penchant for single-word titles, but is a more stripped-down affair than their previous dance-centric releases.
Joining the duo on this effort is legendary Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who also worked with Tennant and New Order front man Bernard Sumner in the techno-friendly band Electronic. “I hadn’t seen Johnny for two or three years,” Tenant said in a recent interview. “He was in the same studio while we were mastering our reissues. I told him about [the album] and he said he’d love to play on it. So he came up for four days and played on about 10 tracks—more than there are on the album in fact.” (These tracks appear on a bonus CD included in the U.S. release.)

The new album was recorded in Tennant’s home in Durham in the north of England. The rustic, almost barren surroundings allowed the Boys to get away from the London scene and their tried-and-true approach to music. “Chris took a very active role in how this album was created,” Tenant said. “He wanted it to be less grand—a bit more earthy. We even used real drum tracks and guitars.” Lowe added,“It was very liberating in terms of songwriting. It gave us a lot more freedom to experiment—to come up with a new sound that is more focused on words and melodies than on powerful dance beats.”

In the same way, their most recent tour has been a more down-to-earth production than past outings, which saw the men decked out in everything from orange jumpsuits to Devo drag. “It’s obviously less theatrical this time around,” said Tenant, who even played guitar on a number of songs. “It’s just the two of us and a few back-up musicians on a fairly bare set. We’re focusing more on the music this time, not the image.”

Pet Shop Boys songs have always been informed by current events, and the new album is no different. While most of the tracks were already written and recorded before September 11, the first single, “Home and Dry” took on a new significance after the World Trade Center disaster. Although the song is about missing a loved one who is overseas, references to a fear of flying and “all those dark and frantic transatlantic miles” are eerily prophetic. “A lot of people want to stay in the comfort and safety of their own homes,” Lowe said. “ I’ve had no desire to sort of get on planes and jet around the world. Not for safety—but you just want to be with your friends and family.”
Another track that tackles the media spotlight is “The Night I Fell In Love,” a ballad about a young hip-hop fan who falls in love—and is seduced by—a certain blond-haired, foul-mouthed rap star. “Eminem represents a lot of the homophobia that is still part of American culture,” said Tenant. “His music can be ugly and threatening. We wanted to diffuse that by turning it into something beautiful.” Both Tenant and Lowe admit to enjoying Eminem’s music. “Oh, he’s quite brilliant in some ways,” said Tenant. “Very funny and bombastic.” Lowe adds, “I’ve got his doll on the mantelpiece!”

Tenant is less jovial when discussing the recent scandals involving pedophile priests and the resulting witch hunts against gay clergy. “I was raised Catholic,” he said, “and it seems the Church has always tried to deny sexuality. Making sex a sin, taking vows of chastity—even the current cover-up—are examples of denying sexuality. I think in order to heal itself, the Church has to embrace sex as a natural and healthy part of human nature.”
With their latest tour wrapped up, the question remains what the dynamic duo will tackle next. Well, it’s not likely they’ll try to resurrect last year’s failed Wotapalava tour any time soon. The Pet Shop Boys are, however, hard at work trying to bring their musical, Closer to Heaven, to the States by spring 2003. The show, about a gay Irish lad bewildered by the big city, played in London’s West End last year. “We’re in discussions with producers now,” Tenant said. “It would be a whole new cast and production than the London show, so we’re just taking it day by day.”

Dan Avery is an entertainment writer in New York.