it's alright

"Winner", the new single from Pet Shop Boys has been unveiled. I have listened to it nearly forty times and I have concluded that it is... rather weak. It took quite a while to come up with the appropriate sentiment. Nearly thirty years into their career, PSB have managed to underwhelm. Not that "Winner" is a loser. It simply feels tepid. And it certainly doesn't feel like the lead single heralding a brand new elpee. These are difficult words to type because Chris and Neil have consistently delivered top shelf tunes with sparkling production. But "Winner" falls a bit short, almost as if it isn't quite finished. It's just OK. And we've all grown accustomed to expecting much more than that from ver Boys. Even their return is rather muted and understated this time around as opposed to the triumphant fanfares of the past. Facts must be faced. After a lengthy career such as theirs, it's challenging to come up with the goods every single time. Perhaps another twenty listens will bring me around to a more favorable review. But to my ears "Winner" sure doesn't stack up against their towering pantheon of work. Here's hoping "Elysium", its parent longplayer delivers something grander and shinier within it's zeros and ones.