Pet Shop Boys: Yes

The Pet Shop Boys haven't been on top form in recent years, but  their "upbeat new album signals an upswing in their fortunes", said Ludovic Hunter-Tilney in the Financial Times. These survivors of the 1980s have extended their shelf life by teaming up with producers Xenomania, "makers of irresistibly glossy hits for the likes of Girls Aloud". And it seems to have worked. "The results, in a characteristic Pet Shop Boys mix of high and low, combine hi-NRG dance-pop with references to Tchaikovsky, Daphne du Maurier and John Betjeman."

 "Let us dispense with any cliched crit-speak about a 'stunning return to form'," said Simon Price in the Independent on Sunday. "Show me when the Pet Shop Boys ever lost it, and I'll call you a liar." All Over the World is "irresistible"; and More Than a Dream is "an unstoppable piece of future-pop". The "magic fingers" of Brian 'Xenomania' Higgins have made a real impact. (Verdict: three stars) ·