Of all the groups that emerged in the ’80s, the Pet Shop Boys have always maintained a timeless quality—this despite the fact that their chosen genre, synth-pop, seems to instantly date their contemporaries. Part of the reason could be singer Neil Tennant’s sharply written lyrics, or it could be because they’ve managed to tweak their sound over the years without losing sight of who they are. Then again, it could also be because popular music seems to keep swinging back to the sounds of the ’80s. It’s not that difficult to imagine a number of contemporary bands having at least a couple Pet Shop Boys records loaded on their iPods.

The Pet Shop Boys have never existed as a nostalgia act, maintaining a near constant presence. So it’s no surprise that 30 years after the release of their debut album, Please, the band is on its 13th studio album, Super (X2 Records). Like past records it has a one-word title and maintains Chris Lowe as the primary musical force, with Tennant contributing some additional keyboard work. It is also the second part of a proposed trilogy with producer Stuart Price. Price is better known to club heads as Jacques Lu Cont or Les Rythmes Digitales and to the pop world as the producer for Madonna’s Confessions on the Dancefloor. He is credited for steering the Pet Shop Boys towards making a straight-up dance record with their previous effort, Electric. The result was a critically acclaimed album that gave the group their highest chart placing in years.

Super strikes a balance between yesterday and today. Dance and electronic music is an ever-changing animal and trying to grab on to current sounds means that you may sound outdated by the time the record is released. But if you’re going to make a record for the club, it’s understandable that you’ll want to at least make a nod to what’s popular. To that end, Super features a lot of sounds that wouldn’t sound out of place coming from the main stage of the Electric Daisy Carnival. Songs like “Inner Sanctum” have legitimate breakdowns and hint at “drops.” But the duo isn’t trying to substitute a bass thump for songwriting. The classically structured “The Pop Kids” slides in a character-driven narrative about a couple that moved to the big city to pursuit their love of pop music and clubbing. It’s similar in structure and delivery to something like “What Have I Done To Deserve This?” in that it’s like a short story set to music.

The album may not have enough straight-up pop hooks for some, and one could argue that Super doesn’t stray too far from the club sounds of its predecessor. Lowe wrangles sweeping synths, thumping bass, and a variety of styles ranging from house to hi-NRG. Meanwhile, there are moments like on “Burn,” where Tennant comes in so relatively late he seems like a featured guest. Nonetheless, his deadpan vocals resonate as strong as ever no matter where they fall. Though the Pet Shop Boys can never escape their past, Super is clearly the sound of a band looking forward.