Nightlife
The reason dance-pop sustains greater longevity than wordless dance music is because dance-pop isaboutsomething.  Albums released by the great ones--New Order,Depeche Mode,Erasure, and, of course, the Pet Shop Boys--maintain their appeal throughout the years because the lyrical content is intelligent, clearly narrative, and forever relevant. WithNightlife, the Pet Shop Boys continue to write startlingly honest and lyrically pointed songs, despite 13 years of cultivating an image of vacant boredom and smug indifference. Likewise, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe need not follow trends to keep current.Nightlifeis uniquely a Pet Shop Boys album and arguably the zenith of their career. Midtempo techno tracks build out from a disco sensibility. Body-rocking rhythms are softened with sorrowful swells of strings, synthesized vocal choruses, and Tennant's sandy, monotone recite-singing. Conversely, the Boys augment the album's ballads with fat blips of bass line and elusive back beats. Lyrics are as innuendo laden as ever, although this time out (ahem) the veil is thinner than ever. Think the Pet Shop Boys' records will ever get stale? Oh,please.--Beth Massa