Pet Shop Boys ‘Release’ Concert Craftsmanship

Throughout their long career, the British synth-pop duo the Pet Shop Boys have exhibited a buoyancy that has made it easy for many pop fans to look past the nuances of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe’s smart craftsmanship.

However, it was that craftsmanship that was on display Friday when the self-described “new Pet Shop Boys” performed at the Universal Amphitheatre on a tour in support of the new album, “Release.”

Familiar numbers, such as the buoyant “West End Girls,” “It’s a Sin” and their reworking of the Willie Nelson hit “Always on My Mind,” formed the heart of the pair’s 90-minute set, but crucial moments were given to the new CD--with mixed results.

Having stripped themselves of the theatrics that used to accompany their shows, the Boys, backed by a four-piece band that included drums, guitar, bass and a programmer, are using this tour to introduce themselves as musicians (hence the term “new Pet Shop Boys”).

Despite the fact the concert showed the band’s vulnerable side musically (Lowe described it afterward as like being naked), the lighting kept the band in mostly shadows through much of the set. If those gray silhouettes gave a cool effect, there’s something disconcerting about watching a lead singer whose face you never can make out, particularly when he’s crooning a ballad, as on the new “The Night I Fell in Love.”

Another problems was pacing. For a veteran act, their sequencing was surprisingly off. Every time the crowd would get into the show, the band would pull out another ballad that put the fans back in their seats. An example: placing the new “Love Is a Catastrophe,” which was a slow, though moving number, between the upbeat “West End Girls” and the closing “Go West,” one of the highlights of the night.

On the positive side, Tennant and Lowe showed an impressive artistic resolve in giving so much space to “Release.” If Friday’s concert showed they haven’t entirely worked out this new direction yet, they are at least on the right path.