Electric (Pet Shop Boys) | 3.5/5

With the current hipster cred of ’80s synth-pop - which was once considered anachronistic and dated about 20 years ago - is it any wonder that the stock one of the mainstays of the genre, Pet Shop Boys, remains high? Fans of the duo’s classic material will be thrilled to know that Electric is wall-to-wall disco pop and is truly made for clubbers and lovers of the nightlife. Although the album does open with a ponderous ’90s-styled techno instrumental (Axis), this does not reflect the general approach of Electric. Once the vivacious Bolshy kicks down the nightclub, it’s a joyride into booty-shaking oblivion - basically what the Pet Shops Boys do best. For example, Love Is A Bourgeois Contract (one has to admire those thought-provoking titles) is a brilliant amalgam of the classical and electronica; Flourescent is a sleazy, fuzzy fevered dream; and Inside A Dream takes no prisoners, diving deep into the funk. This one will see pundits heading for the dance floor for sure.