Monday, December 7, 2009

Monday, December 7, 2009  [Link to this | Blog home]

A surprise phone call from a friend suddenly provided me with tickets for the long-sold out Pet Shop Boys gig. And yes, it was the same show I saw at Roskilde and actually wanted to see again. And once again, I was blown away by the completely reworked hits and non-hits and the inventive and humorous use of visuals and performers.
Why is it I like this band so much? I may be weird, but I actually think I find their particular brand of  detachment moving. I'm often put off by the kind of highly strong crooners that try to force their emotions down your throat (and is it just me, or is there a lot of this going on these days?).
With Chris Lowe's cool synth constructions and Neil Tennant's reserved delivery of the songs, there is no manipulation or seduction going on. Instead, the listener is free to discover the simple beauty of the melodies and the broad spectrum of human experience described in the lyrics: Love (of course), guilt, materialism, jealousy, aging...
But, like when listening to a Bach fugue, what emotions you feel seem to be your own - though they are of course subtly guided by the moods hinted at in the calmly understated songs.
I realize that this is what makes some listeners write the Pet Shop Boys off as robotic and superficial. But I truly enjoy a musicial experience that doesn't force itself on me.