
These re-releases — each including a bonus disc of remixes, demos, and B sides — trace the unambiguously gay duo’s evolution from droll synth-popsters to club-savvy chroniclers of love’s perils and promises. While ”Please” and ”Actually” have their lush — if lyrically vague — charms, the throbbing beats of the smart, disco-wall-of-sound ”Introspective,” the meditative, Moog-based ”Behaviour,” and the techno ”Very” provide an urgent backdrop to Neil Tennant’s plainspoken vocals. At best, the Boys’ tunes deftly convey the travails of a fragile yet brave heart. ”Please” Grade: B; ”Actually” Grade: B+; ”Introspective” Grade: A; ”Behaviour” Grade: A; ”Very” Grade: A