Flight International 10 July 2018

English synth pop duo Pet Shop Boys have amassed a remarkably consistent and influential catalog, pairing wry cultural commentary with buoyant melodies and lush electronic arrangements that sound like no other. After first emerging in the mid-'80s with "West End Girls" and "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)," Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe quickly established themselves as hitmaking singles artists who were also able to craft emotionally resonant albums, like 1988's Introspective and 1990's Behaviour. The duo navigated the constantly shifting landscape of modern dance-pop with grace and intelligence, moving easily from disco to house music to thoughtful synth pop without losing their distinctive style in the process. Continuing to evolve artistically, Pet Shop Boys incorporated Latin music on 1996's Bilingual, expanded into theater and ballet, and eventually morphed into elder statesmen of electronic pop, producing an array of inventive late-period highlights like 2016's Super and 2024's Nonetheless.

'Luck Child' by Dutch jazz singer Fay Claassen, is an ode to youth and beauty, with a mix of old and new songs. Mostly those she has been singing for many years but never recorded before. Famous and beloved songs by the likes of Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Burt Bacharach and Ennio Morricone are presented alongside new compositions by Paul Heller. Claassen has recorded her own albums together with many international jazz stars, such as Mike Stern, Kenny Werner and Toots Thielemans. She was invited as a soloist for recordings by the WDR Big Band, Bob Brookmeyers New Art Orchestra, the Millennium Jazz Orchestra and the Danish Radio Big Band. She has also worked with well-known conductors and arrangers such as Jim Mc Neely, Vince Mendoza and Michael Abene. Fay was awarded with The Golden Record for her double album 'Two Portraits of Chet Baker'.

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