*** Pet Shop Boys, “Nightlife,” Sire.

As the title of its first album in three years (due Tuesday) suggests, the English duo conducts a sweeping, swooning tour of the nocturnal state of mind. The electronic music pioneers’ trademark of throbbing beats and deadpan singing gets a disco spin with some lavish string arrangements, and the team--which plays tonight at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre and Monday at the Universal Amphitheatre--takes an ambitious step with the mini-opera “In Denial,” where Neil Tennant and guest Kylie Minogue sing the parts of a gay father and his teenage daughter.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.