Nonetheless in the press (previews, interviews, etc)

[kingdom]

Love seeing these positive reviews. Keep reading through them again & again to get these nuggets about each song The anticipation builds...I love it!

[Nina]

From all these written descriptions - the three I'm most looking forward to hearing are New London Boy, a New Bohemia and Love is the Law.

Certainly in terms of a classic PSB sound the first two are up there, as is Why Am I Dancing? I'd say the latter and Schlager are two with Third Single Appeal.

[Nickname]

It's not better than previous albums, it's not worse. The usual 4 starts they got on previous albums.

[jules]

I'm fed up of waiting. I think new bohemia and narcissus will be totally awesome.

[minimal]

It's not better than previous albums, it's not worse. The usual 4 starts they got on previous albums.

Nevermind.

m+

[dgraysn]

has anyone scanned the Record Collector interview?

[jamie1978]

It's not better than previous albums, it's not worse. The usual 4 starts they got on previous albums.

Sample size: 3
Conclusions: Drawn
IQ: Low

[y3potential]

It's not better than previous albums, it's not worse. The usual 4 starts they got on previous albums.

Sample size: 3
Conclusions: Drawn
IQ: Low

Indeed. I highly recommend the foe option in the settings..

[PSBForTheMasses]

I wonder why these excellent reviews never translate into sales or chart positions or attracking new young fans? It is clear UK media (and the world press, generally) dearly loves the PSB. perhaps more than New Order. DM or the Smiths, and it has been mostly like this. It makes me proud in a way that I cannot clearly explain.

For instance, the Guardian put the West End girls above every number one single without any bit of shame and the fear of criticism while the reader comments up to that point very rarely pointed out the West End girls as a potential number one. Many of those readers were quite disappointed, or worse, felt frustrated and cheated when the West End girls came at the top spot, lol. The sense of their deflation was almost palpable.

On the other hand,I remember reading a review of Very at its time. It was not very harsh but the reviewer clearly did not consider the PSB "a significant band", saying that it was the VERY same PSB with those drum machines and all, dull "thud thud thud" sounds like raindrops monotonously hitting the roof and nothing different from the previous albums etc. Yet Very went on to number one and became one of the bestselling albums that year.

One questions the merit of these reviews, actually. Do they help the success of albums in any way? Does anyone read them? Or why can recent music fans not see that thing in PSB music that the reviewers dearly like?

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

One questions the merit of these reviews, actually. Do they help the success of albums in any way? Does anyone read them? Or why can recent music fans not see that thing in PSB music that the reviewers dearly like?

Nowadays people can stream pretty much any album, so they're less beholden to reviews. More than anything, a review alerts you to the fact some artist has an album coming out very soon, and that you might be interested enough to go have a listen.

Retro.

[Patrick Bateman]

Also, to a teenager now, it's like us buying a Bill Haley album in the 1980s.

[y3potential]

Also, to a teenager now, it's like us buying a Bill Haley album in the 1980s.

That's a good way of looking at it.

[Shopper]

Greetings,

One questions the merit of these reviews, actually. Do they help the success of albums in any way? Does anyone read them? Or why can recent music fans not see that thing in PSB music that the reviewers dearly like?

Nowadays people can stream pretty much any album, so they're less beholden to reviews. More than anything, a review alerts you to the fact some artist has an album coming out very soon, and that you might be interested enough to go have a listen.

Retro.

lets also not forget that social media and reels are way to go for promo today. Kylie's unbelievable 2023 revival stems from pursuing tiktok effectively for Padam Padam and having someone in your record company/PR pursue that route, apart from traditional channels.

I was just listening to Too Sweet by Hozier and I was instantly hooked to the chorus and lyrics. There is something a wee unpolished about this song, say in comparison to his Church hit. Apparently tik tok played a role in getting it across..

[Nickname]

I wonder why these excellent reviews never translate into sales or chart positions or attracking new young fans? It is clear UK media (and the world press, generally) dearly loves the PSB. perhaps more than New Order. DM or the Smiths, and it has been mostly like this. It makes me proud in a way that I cannot clearly explain.

For instance, the Guardian put the West End girls above every number one single without any bit of shame and the fear of criticism while the reader comments up to that point very rarely pointed out the West End girls as a potential number one. Many of those readers were quite disappointed, or worse, felt frustrated and cheated when the West End girls came at the top spot, lol. The sense of their deflation was almost palpable.

On the other hand,I remember reading a review of Very at its time. It was not very harsh but the reviewer clearly did not consider the PSB "a significant band", saying that it was the VERY same PSB with those drum machines and all, dull "thud thud thud" sounds like raindrops monotonously hitting the roof and nothing different from the previous albums etc. Yet Very went on to number one and became one of the bestselling albums that year.

One questions the merit of these reviews, actually. Do they help the success of albums in any way? Does anyone read them? Or why can recent music fans not see that thing in PSB music that the reviewers dearly like?

I think PSB are more famous than New Order, The Human League, Soft Cell, Erasure or any other electro-pop band from the 80's. Only Depeche Mode is a bit more than PSB. It doesn't reflect on downloads or sales.

[leesmapman]

Thanks to All Of Us Strangers and Saltburn, Pet Shop Boys are quite in the picture with the kids nowadays. That's what I got from a friend who has a 13 year old daughter so it's a bit of anecdotal evidence, but still!