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Cricket Wife
Pop · 2021

Cricket Wife

Pet Shop Boys

A ten-minute orchestral meditation featuring spoken-word poetry. Stark piano and mournful strings replace the dancefloor for a haunting study of domestic ghosts.

May 21, 2021 · x2 (2)

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Cricket Wife represents a radical departure from the neon-drenched dance-pop usually associated with the Pet Shop Boys. It is a long-form, ten-minute narrative piece that feels more like a theatrical monologue or a piece of modern classical music than a pop single. The sound is defined by a somber, cinematic arrangement of strings and piano, providing a stark backdrop for Neil Tennant's dry, precise spoken-word delivery. There are no programmed beats or club-ready hooks here; instead, the music breathes with a slow, deliberate pace that demands the listener's full attention.

Moments Worth Listening For
The transition from the dry, intimate spoken delivery to the sudden, swelling entry of the string section.
The way the piano motif repeats with slight, haunting variations, mimicking the cycle of a long-term memory.
The final three minutes where the orchestration thins out, leaving a lingering sense of unresolved tension.
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Cricket Wife sound next to the rest of Pet Shop Boys's catalogue?

Spoken Word+3.7σ

The vocals lean far further into spoken word than the rest of the catalogue.

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