Directly in front: The lady was twice next (and thus revealed their cluelessness concentrated in music).
1. "fundamentals" does not sound like Depeche Mode.
2. The album is not bad, it's excellent.
After the rather bleak album "Release", the Pet Shop Boys focus on their strengths and provide sophisticated pop songs here 12 from which one has better is no longer part of the English for a long time. Epic Breitwandpop with a large orchestra ("Numb") alternates with danceable smashers ("Integral") and all are great and catchy melodies. In this respect, the minimalist and atypical opener "Psychological" leads absolutely astray. Has the final analysis, it is also only overture to the great and brilliant "Sodom & Gomorrah Show" in which producer Trevor Horn deeply gripped box in the Frankie Goes To Hollywood ("Welcome") and raises the question of why the record company not has decoupled best songs as a single, but with "I'm with stupid" and (soon) "minimum" two indeed very good, but it is not Reißer as the "Sodom & Gomorrah Show" or "Integral", a violent Disco Klopper, which acts as a kind of bouncer on the plate.
Between these Uptemponummern scatter the Pet Shop Boys very relaxed quiet mini dramas like "I made my excuses" or "Casanova in Hell" or hide the hypnotic and danceable again "Twentieth Century".
Conclusion: "Fundamental" is a big announcement, but can redeem at any minute of the plate, the Pet Shop Boys. Definitely the best album of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe in a long, long time and absolutely a buy recommendation. At least for those who like the music of Pet Shop Boys, and have liked earlier. Who but the Pet Shop Boys have always sounded too much to Depeche Mode, who should look for other boards - or for a job as a CD seller in hot electronics markets.
PS: Also holds the second CD of the "Special Edition", which the first promises. Unlike the "Special Editions" of the last albums the remixes are here clearly audible even for themselves and the additional song "Fugitive" would have been a great single in bad times. A surprise there's also: In the new recording of "In Private" Neil Tennant sings a duet with (a vocally ailing) Elton John!
