(x2/Kobalt)Neil Tennant has never been one to shy away from the issues, but during his 35 years as a cerebral pop operator, he has usually held them at arm’s length, a Mona Lisa smile on his lips. This sangfroid cracked last year, when Pet Shop Boys released a political four-song EP about the breakdown of democracy. However satisfying it was to hear Tennant speaking more plainly, Hotspot – the band’s 14th album – returns to more sophisticated ways.
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