In their heyday the Pet Shop Boys were the Interpol of the Eighties dressing up to sing really weird pop songs about lust and loneliness in the big city. They're low-pro now not retro-worshipped in the manner of Depeche Mode New Order or The Cure but you can hear the reason why - these guys are too sad.
'The Killing' has a really great combination of qualities: Even though it's very sad and deals with mourning and grief it's still exciting. It's about real people and it doesn't shy from the painful points of life.