Elysium Parlophone/EMI ****

Another few years pass, and then it's time for another Pet Shop Boys studio album, and yet, curiously, it never feels like a chore to listen to them. By now, of course, they have weathered any amount of storms, and are as much a part of the pop music landscape as astute 50-somethings can be. What sets them apart is their skill at observing trifles such as demented pop stars (Ego Music), career subsidence (Your Early Stuff), the changing of the pop – or any – guard (Invisible), and just life (Breathing Space). With Pet Shop Boys there is always a sense of melancholy and of reflection, particularly on relationships, you just don't get from other electro-pop acts of similar vintage, and on this album that sensibility seems even more pronounced. Elysium offers rare subtlety, blatant style and a raft of superb melodies. petshopboys.co.uk

Download tracks:Invisible, Your Early Stuff, Ego Music