Pet Shop Boys – Nightlife: Further Listening 1996–2000 – Rhino

FourScore

By Kristi Kates | Aug. 19, 2017

For fans of the Boys’ 1999 concept album, Nightlife, its renowned collaboration with producers Rollo and Craig Armstrong, this latest release is the equivalent of revisiting an old friend and finding that he or she has had a lot of work done. The 1999 (remastered) album is included in its entirety on this set, but you’ll also find a pile of sleek, synth-y behind-the-scenes extras, primarily tracks that weren’t on the first release, like “Tall Thin Men” and a demo version of “Radiophonic,” giving you further insight into how deep the process for the original album really went. *** 

Manchester Orchestra – A Black Mile to the Surface – Loma Vista
After the Orchestra (actually not an orchestra, nor from Manchester; it’s an indie-rock band from Georgia) crafted the score for the movie Swiss Army Man, it found itself newly inspired and went about recording its next album — this one — with an ear toward way more complex, layered melodies and arrangements. This shift, while it occasionally falters, is a very interesting one: It’s big, bold, and experimental, with hints of The National or old-school R.E.M. on tracks like “The Gold,” “The Grocery,” and “The Mistake.” ** ½

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – The Punishment of Luxury – WN Records
It’s true that OMD hasn’t exhibited much musical growth since its heyday in the ’80s. But with the resurgence of ’80s sounds creeping up in the pop genre these days, it seems this release might click OMD back into place in the music scene. The set’s first two singles are “La Mitrailleuse” and “Isotype,” both served up with sprinkles of German electronic band Kraftwerk’s sound. The duo also shuffles darker lyrics, themes, and sentiments underneath its sugar-pop melodies, which adds a much-needed layer of interest. ***

Oceans Ate Alaska – Hikari – Fearless Records
Technical, precise rock is OAA’s forte, and on its sophomore effort it adopts the philosophy of the Japanese word Hikari, which translates to “light” and represents a brighter side of the English band’s sometimes too-heavy sound. OAA also took a literal track to this goal, by bringing in a shortlist of traditional Japanese instruments to help capture the lightness in tunes like the title track, with its unanticipated jazz inflections; the more aggressive “Escapist”; and the also unexpected “Hansha,” which takes a quieter, more EDM/ambient approach. ** ½