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CRITIC REVIEWS
80
As Pet Shop Boys enter their heritage years, they are still taking dance music into unexpected places.
8mo
80
Through it all, Tennant and Lowe feel as confident and progressive as ever, honoring their signature sound while continuing to push it into the future.
8mo
80
‘Hotspot’ rounds things off with a lovingly crafted variety pick and mix of all the flavours that keep Pet Shop Boys at the top of their game.
8mo
80
You sense this album is intended as an expression of hope for the future, rather than a fond look back.
8mo
80
Hotspot is just another jewel in the already-sizeable crown of Britain’s greatest ever pop band, and will only grow in power over time.
8mo
80
The Pet Shop Boys enter the new decade sounding just as current and catchy as the pop landscape they helped construct.
8mo
80
There’s no jolting shock-of-the-new: they’re just reassuringly here, refining what they do best.
8mo
80
With so many new artists popping up on the scene daily, it is refreshing to see our elder statesmen delivering music that remains true to their core, but still finding a freshness in the most organic, unforced way.
8mo
80
Hotspot consistently points to potential joy amid a backdrop of dread.
7mo
70
Hotspot shows a creative force that’s still curious, still with things to say.
8mo
70
Fans will find much to enjoy here, but Hotspot is best viewed as a victory lap.
8mo
70
They create music with expert flair and ever-present skill. Their songs are a relevant comment on human emotion, and current affairs, with a banging, happy sound.
8mo
70
There are still more than enough highlights on Hotspot to make the record worthwhile, and when they put their mind to it Tennant and Lowe’s wordsmithery is still as sharp as ever.
8mo
70
Despite its flaws, Hotspot deserves its place on the upper shelf of Pet Shop Boys’ discography.
8mo
68
The album’s highs are high enough to further prove that the duo has had the most consistent career of any of their synth-pop peers. But their best play will likely be to move beyond the Stuart Price era and pump some fresh blood into their creative veins.
8mo
61
On their 14th studio album, the best-selling duo in UK pop dampen the euphoria; the result is a tuneful, wan album that lands somewhere in the middle of their rich catalogue.
7mo
60
Despite all the biting character sketches and evergreen dancefloor nous in evidence, Hotspot has its cooler passages.
8mo
60
For all the bizarre choices and sidesteps made on Hotspot, Pet Shop Boys live up to their own adage of never being boring.
7mo
60
On Hotspot, their latest, the duo remain steadfast to that commitment with creamy, dancefloor-ready techno —joyously documenting the anticipation before a night out.
7mo
I never thought I'd hear Pet Shop Boys on a trap beat. Can we get a West End Girls remix with dababy?
This is pretty much what you would expect from a band that was popular in the '80s making new music thirty years later.
It's a shame becuase "Hotspots" started off really well. A few of the songs have this cheesiness that I think is unironically funny and cool. Unfortunately, that fizzles out for the rest of the album in favor of dated production and a couple of bad moments too.
Like, who the fuck thought "Wedding in Berlin" was a good idea? Apparently, Pet Shop Boys.
Fav Tracks: Will-o-the-wisp, Happy people, I don't wanna, Dreamland,
Least Fav Tracks: Wedding in Berlin, Monkey ... read more
Like, who the fuck thought "Wedding in Berlin" was a good idea? Apparently, Pet Shop Boys.
Fav Tracks: Will-o-the-wisp, Happy people, I don't wanna, Dreamland,
Least Fav Tracks: Wedding in Berlin, Monkey ... read more
Oh thank God this album is not as horrible as the Agenda EP released last year. Not surprisingly Hotspot is a space-time capsule, but the advantage of Pet Shop Boys is that they lived there to have it in their blood, which brings them a real legitimacy and a coherent sound. Then finally it's not too bad this album.
True to themselves, they seem to enjoy themselves and they play it, good for them. After all it's a rather winning choice because the big fans of the 80/90 synthpop and 90/00 dance ... read more
True to themselves, they seem to enjoy themselves and they play it, good for them. After all it's a rather winning choice because the big fans of the 80/90 synthpop and 90/00 dance ... read more
This is like Maroon 5 eurodance and I can’t say I particularly care for it. Also some blatant Daft Punk rip offs. Some flashes of the old PSB come through which is the only thing that got me through this. The music is somewhat fun and there’s some cool production but what a slog otherwise.
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Track List
- Will-o-the-wisp
- You are the one
- Happy people
- Dreamland (feat. Years & Years)
- Hoping for a miracle
- I don't wanna
- Monkey business
- Only the dark
- Burning the heather
- Wedding in Berlin
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Added on: September 11, 2019