Jesse Schutz

Hotspot finds the Pet Shop Boys returning to their melancholic form that made fans fall in love with 1990's Behaviour. Unlike its predecessors, Hotspot was recorded on analog equipment, giving it a far warmer ambiance. Tracks like You are the one, Only the Dark, and single Burning the heather are lovely mid-tempo tracks deserving of repeat listens. For those who prefer to be up on their feet, the album does sport some faster tracks. Opener Will-o-the-wisp is a four-on-the-floor romp that comes the closest to sounding like the previous two records. The lyrics find the narrator on a train spying a lover from their past, wondering if they'll meet eyes, whether he'll say hi, or if he's gone all proper, with a wife and kids. Happy People is classic PSB, the upbeat melody with sad lyrics. And I don't wanna is quite the bop, Neil recently admitting he channeled Madonna herself for the vocals. Dreamland, the lead single, has been dividing fans since it was first released in the fall. The most generic sounding song on the album, its biggest offense is probably in that its not offensive in the least. Its... safe. And as RuPaul often says, safe is never good. But its not bad either. The song could easily find a home in any of their previous 13 studio albums. Then there's Monkey Business, the most recent single. Easily the duo's most funky and groovy song to see daylight, this track is grower, not a show-er. Some might find the lyrics a bit too camp and garish, but for those who love PSB, you'll eventually come to terms and embrace it. Pet Shop Boys are heading into their fourth decade together, and if Hotspot accomplishes anything, its that it tells us the boys have plenty more to share with us. And that's a good thing! Best track: Happy People Weakest track: Dreamland

Like the last three albums, its a mixed bag. Highlights include the single "Crave", the ethereal "Come alive", and the bonus track "Looking for mercy". "I don't search I find", "Crazy", and "Future" are also enjoyable. The biggest missteps are where Madonna tries to go political and comes off preachy and humorless. Easily the worst tracks: the tone-deaf "Killers who are partying", the dreary woe-is-me ballad "Extreme Occident", and biggest offender, "Dark Ballet." The latter sounds like a vain and calculated attempt to appear artistic, but the song lacks any nuance, and Madonna offers nothing new to say. The latin influenced songs are not as strong as previous efforts, like La Isla Bonita or Spanish Eyes, but they are still well crafted pop songs. Will they blow your mind? No. Will you enjoy them? Probably. Especially if you're a fan already. In the end, it may not be the comeback album I wanted from Madonna, but the fact that four decades into her career she is still making new music instead of resting on her laurels and doing 'greatest hits' tours is something to celebrate in itself. If nothing else, Madame X is one of her more daring albums in over a decade. And yes, that means something. Not being safe is something that has defined her career, and to still be doing that at 61 shows that we still may get that comeback album yet. This one isn't it.