Format: B-sides and Bonus Tracks 1996-2009 Parlophone****

So arch, so smart, so correct, so proper – and so brilliant. The USP of Pet Shop Boys is all of the above, but especially a pop nous that has been refined over the years. This second B-side collection (the first, Anthology 1985-1994, was released in 1995) displays what many avid PSB fans already know: that their B-sides are often just as good as the main articles. Initially, the songs appear slight, with How I Learned to Hate Rock'n'Rollbeing the only edgy highlight from the mid-to- late 1990s. But as the noughties material advanced, so too did Tennant and Lowe's B-side quality control. The blend of deftly pronounced charm ( Between Two Islands) and sharply observed narratives ( Friendly Fire, Bright Young Things, The Resurrectionist) is not masterful as well as instructive. Class. petshopboys.co.uk

Download tracks: How I Learned to Hate Rock'n'Roll, Between Two Islands, Bright Young Things