Ack Phhht!

The new Pet Shops Boys single, “Love Etc.” has leaked, and I’ve been listening to it a fair amount over the past 24 hours.

Now, I’m not going to pretend that I’m the biggest Pet Shop Boys fan on the Internet (I read a lot of pop music blogs, and I’m actually always amazed how many people consider the Pet Shop Boys a major touchstone in their lives).  To be honest, up until a fairly recently, I only really knew them for their run of chart hits in the US in the 80’s.  But since picking up Pop Art a few years ago I’ve listened to them a fair bit, and have been looking forward to their new material, since I really like what producers Xenomania have done with Saint Etienne.

And the song is … good.  But just that, “good”, not flat-out awesome like I’d hoped.  A bit heavier and denser than I expect out of a Pet Shop Boys single, catchy enough but not in a way that inserts itself into your brain, and a bit monotonous.  Certainly not an embarrassment, and I’m still pretty excited to hear Yes, the new album out on March 23rd — oh, except in the US, of course.  God forbid.