ELYSIUM
The Pet Shop Boys album "Elysium", released on September 5, 2012, is their eleventh studio album and the last one with Parlophone for twelve years. The album was written mainly in London in 2011 and recorded and mixed over two months in early 2012 in Los Angeles, produced by the duo along with Andrew Dawson, known for his work with Kanye West. The move to Los Angeles and this partnership brought a fresh, nuanced sound to the album, blending classic synth-pop textures with deeper, more mature production and emotional intensity.
"Elysium" is considered a reflective, mood-driven album rather than a dancefloor-focused release. Its themes revolve around aging, nostalgia, loss, and the passage of time, capturing the duo's emotional introspection at this stage of their career. The production incorporates lush orchestral arrangements recorded at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, backing vocal groups including the Waters family and a cappella group Sonos, and a careful balance of electronic and acoustic instrumentation.
The album consists of 12 tracks:
Leaving
A poignant opening track about farewells and transitions, featuring gentle synths and tender vocals.
Invisible
A contemplative song reflecting on aging and invisibility, with a haunting melody and sparse, atmospheric production.
Winner
A hopeful yet restrained track about resilience, blending warm synth layers with understated beats.
Your Early Stuff
Nostalgic and wistful, focusing on past relationships and memories with shimmering synths underscoring the sentimentality.
A Face Like That
A deeper, moodier song about acceptance and individual identity, with dark tones and spacious soundscapes.
Breathing Space
A serene track, providing a reflective moment within the album.
Ego Music
An energetic up-tempo track with electronic beats, commenting on celebrity culture and ego.
Hold On
A tender ballad about support and perseverance, featuring soft instrumentation and heartfelt lyrics.
Give It A Go
A synth-pop track about risk and vulnerability in relationships, with catchy melodies and polished production.
Memory Of The Future
A dreamy song blending electronic textures with orchestral touches, exploring thoughts about what lies ahead.
Everything Means Something
A midtempo track reflecting on significance and meaning, layered with lush synth arrangements.
Requiem In Denim And Leopardskin
The closing track, a solemn and meditative piece about retrospection and self-expression, marked by melancholic melodies and orchestral depth.
The album was released in various formats, including a limited-edition double CD and vinyl edition featuring instrumental versions of all tracks. The artwork, designed by Mark Farrow, complements the album's reflective and mature tone with minimalist and evocative imagery.
Critically, "Elysium" was praised for its sophisticated production and emotional depth, often compared to the mood and feel of the 1990 album "Behaviour," though sonically it is quite distinct. The album's restrained, elegant style marked a mature phase in Pet Shop Boys' career, moving away from pure dance music into more introspective and nuanced territory.
Overall, "Elysium" stands as a contemplative and artistically ambitious album that combines the duo's trademark melodic craftsmanship with the refined production sensibility of Andrew Dawson, creating a deeply personal and musically rich statement on aging, memory, and emotional resilience.
Final thoughts….
A bit of a come down after the last album and isn’t that popular amongst Pet Shop Boys fans, most of who rate “Winner” as one of their worst ever tracks, there are plenty of candidates I would have chosen above “Winner” for the worst Pet Shop Boys track ever, that said, how on earth it was chosen as the lead single I don’t know! Overall a disappointing album and it is questionable if Andrew Dawson was the right person to produce this long player.
TRACK RATINGS
Each track on the album is scored on the following basis, an excellent tracks scores 3 points, a good track scores 2 points, an ok track scores 1 point and an awful track, scores no points, the total is added up and divided by the maximum number of points that would be available and then times that by 100 to get your overall score. For example if an album scores 20 points and there are 10 tracks on the album, that means it can achieve a maximum score of 30, so divide 20 by 30 and times it by 100, it gives you a figure of 66.66, which is the final score rating for the album, in this case you would round it up to 67, if it was 66.33, you would round it down to 66. In the event there is a tie, the album with the most tracks rated at 3 ranks as higher.
Leaving 3
Invisible 1
Winner 0
Your Early Stuff 1
A Face Like That 1
Breathing Space 3
Ego Music 0
Hold On 1
Give It A Go 1
Memory Of The Future 3
Everything Means Something 1
Requiem In Denim And Leapardskin 3
Score 18
FINAL ALBUM RATING 50
Current Album Chart
1. Actually - 80 (6 Tracks Rated As 3)
2. Please - 80 (5 Tracks Rated As 3)
3. Introspective - 78
4. Fundamental - 77
5. Yes - 76
6. Behaviour - 73
7. Very - 69
8. Release - 57
9. Elysium - 50
10. Bilingual - 47
11. Nightlife - 42
