Low-Life

“Low-Life” by New Order (1985) First impression: extremely weak lead vocals, poorly recorded. Perfect mismatch between the message and musical settings. Lyrics are okay; music is terrible—a rare combination. Actually, by the end of the album I changed my mind. The lyrics are bad too. Their electronic/disco tracks are better suited to dancing than listening. Highly programmed, one can move the body without engaging the mind, while one’s soul is focused on the gyrations of one’s dance partner(s). Hope he/she/they are hot, cause the music’s not. God, these lead vocals are horrible. Words fail. By the middle of track four, I began looking for the cameras. I was sure I was being punked. 1/5

Highlights: The Perfect Kiss, Sunrise, Sooner Than You Think, Sub-Cultures Oh sure, you can think of New Order as the "Bizarre Love Triangle" band, but did you know they have other songs?! Low-Life is so much more than what you'd expect from the legacy of Joy Division and pioneers of New Wave; It's perfectly crafted in every way. It opens with standard New Order fare with Love Vigilantes progresses into an evolution of lush synth goodness with The Perfect Kiss (or Bizarre Love Triangle Evolved)...Then crests with Sunrise, a surprising and excellent rock/synth power ballad. Sooner Than You Think floats in the middle of the b-side in a dreamy, atmospheric ghostlike presence. The layered tapestry of Sub-Culture diverges and peaks at chaos (the good kind), then immediately ties everything up in a immaculate bow. Face Up closes out with callout to previous efforts, and I imagine is there to remind us at the end, we're still listening to New Order. This is a fantastic album.

Elegia was especially beautiful and I think a fitting tribute to Ian Curtis. A very melancholy synth-pop bit of brilliance. I knew I was going to really enjoy this album, so I was struggling between 4 and 5. 4.5 if possible. Def worth a re-listen!

I've listened to PC&L over a dozen times (one of my favorite albums of all time), but this is my first time listening to Low-Life. Each time I listen, it gets better and better. This album marks a gradual shift from New Wave towards dance-pop through the increased use of synth and less reliance on punk. These 8 tracks are absolute bangers. The first and last tracks are slightly weaker and almost deter from a perfect score. But the rest of the tracks are at least near masterpieces. Love the vocals and synth effects. Their music always gets me moving around and grooving the unique sound that influenced much of synthpop to come.

I love this album. It's one of my favorites of that era. It got endless play in my house when I was a teenager and it's one I never tired of over the years. I think it's probably the first New Order album I had ever heard, so I have a special sentimentality for it. New Order made several terrific albums in the 80s, beautifully crafted collections of unique songs that were eminently listenable, front to back. No bad tracks. Low-Life is just one of those albums. It's full of gorgeously layered electronic arrangements, elevated by Peter Hook's guitar in a way other synth-based bands could never really touch. Bernard Sumner's slightly strained vocal style may be grating to some listeners, but we always liked it for that reason. It added a little texture to an otherwise pretty polished sound. Sumner never tried to be Ian Curtis. He knew his limits as a vocalist and kind of leaned into them, which I can appreciate. The album's only weak spot would be in the lyrics, which always seemed like a bit of an afterthought. This is the case with a lot of music in this genre. Bonus points for showing a sense of humor by adding the “frogs” to “Perfect Kiss.” Fave Songs (all songs, from most to least favorite): The Perfect Kiss, Love Vigilantes, Sub-Culture, Elegia, Sunrise, Face Up, Sooner Than You Think, This Time of Night

10/10 It’s tragic hearing Joy Division without Ian Curtis, but I think Gillian Gilbert was able to move everything to it’s fullest potential. Joy Division always sounded their best when they harnessed synths, I just really wish we could get Ian Curtis’ beautiful vocals and lyricism for New Order. Despite that, this album is still INCREDIBLE. I love the gritty edge of Joy Division put in a Techno-pop dance style. It’s perfect music to jam to, whether to get hyped up (like Sub-Culture) or to get in a more dark mood (like Elegia) Again in a perfect world, we would have Ian Curtis on this but of course, it’s tragically impossible so I have to see it for everything else that makes this album amazing. One of my favorite albums.

New Order's everyday and simple lyrics sometimes come in for criticism (because some people just can't accept when something is perfect). Yes they sing about often mundane and banal subject matter but it is transformed through the unbelievable music into a form of escape and transcendence.

...apparently I had no idea about what New Order actually were. I was most definitely not expecting this to start off with a accessible *upbeat as hell* simple 80s pop rock song - what!? As an 80s rocker kid I avoided New Order because I thought "ick - no guitars or "real" drums but all moody electronic synths??" (n.b. which I would likely love now) but "Love Vigilantes" seems like it could have been something from Big Country or The Alarm. And to be sure the album soon covers moody-synth territory, with heavily layered sequencers moving right in on the second cut but I definitely have a new-found appreciation for the music - it's far more complex and deep than I would have imagined. Yet there's a peculiar mix of styles on this album - just when it seems to be settling into this sequenced new wave we get something like "Sunrise" which is just a killer rock track. I do find some of the instrumentation or mix ... weird (e.g. on "This Time of Night" the overdubbed drum fills practically coat the song) on some of the colder songs but that's a retroactive-80s style thing I'm still not used to :D Overall though this was highly unexpected and is a pleasantly odd mix of synthy dark 80s dance tunes and up-tempo pop-rock songs. I'm glad to have listened to this - a keeper and not just as a timepiece for the era. 7/10 4 stars

An album that doesn't really have any of the hits and is all the better for it. New Order's most cohesive and coherent album by far.

What an awesome album! Sure, the vocals are a little rough, but so is everyone else's from the era, so it hardly had an effect. It just is really satisfying synth-pop that understands to use the synth to it's benefit rather than as a crutch. It can jump from pumping you up to being dark and electronic, and I really enjoy how it knows not to overstay its welcome. Always wasn't sure what to think of New Order, only really loving a couple of the hits, but not thinking much of other, but this definitely leans me towards liking this group a whole lot more.

This is a classic New Order album, right from the the first five seconds of Love Vigilantes. You have the whipping snare, the bass tuned down too low and some synth melody creeping into view. Bloody ACE. The album gets better. The Perfect Kiss is untouchable as a lesson in mid 80's indie pop crossover. By the time you reach Sub-Culture towards the end of the album, you're left feeling disappointed that it's all over. Stunning.

I love Joy Division, and though I'm not horribly familiar with a lot of New Order's broader catalog, I love the songs of theirs that I know ("Ceremony," "True Faith," "Temptation," etc.). Sadly, this was my first time listening to a full New Order album. This album was outstanding from start to finish because every song was outstanding in its own unique way. I loved that New Order kept their post-punk sound while also continuing to develop their use of synthesizers. The guitars on this album were really great. I loved that the guitar parts didn't take the lead on the overall sound of the album, but still helped to flesh out the moody sound that New Order is known for. Bernard Sumner's vocals were great here too; there's just something about his voice that has a distinct Manchester sound to it. I thought that this album worked really well as a whole, but "Love Vigilante" and "Sunrise" were absolute masterpieces in their own right. I will definitely be returning to this album in the future.

Well, it sounded like other rock from this time period. I didn't mind the sound or composition, but it wasn't memorable to me either. The lead singer's voice seemed to deteriorate over the course of the album, ending up with the last track being really uncomfortable to listen to.

This sounds pretty close to a guy singing karaoke at a bar after several drinks. He's not bad, per se, but it's just off enough to be jarring. The music itself is solid and well done, but the vocalist sounding like he's decided on a different key entirely is not a plus.

Big OOF, this album started out sounding rather generic then by the end it was hard to listen. I don't mind synth music, but nothing about this album is remarkable in anyway. Top 3: lol....

Delicious slice of 80s synth rock / pop. All the complaints in the reviews about how Bernard can't sing, well, yeah, but that was always part of their appeal right? "The Perfect Kiss" is an absolutely beautiful track with the build-up / crescendo taking you to another world. Would give 4.5 stars, but worthy of rounding up in this case.

Look, I get it. There are some really simple, nursery rhyme melodies here and the singer's voice is a little nasally but I can't keep these out of my head. Dizzying synths and a tight, bright bass litter these tracks with an 80s pop sensibility that still holds true today. Titled "Low-Life" with a downtrodden aesthetic, but tentative listeners will hear love, happiness, disgust, and even anger. The emotional intensity below the surface is grand. I mean Elegia starts the second side of the LP. If that doesn't give you chills, check your pulse (and watch Stranger Things!!)

The best of the post Joy Division albums, Low Life is mid-80s college radio in encapsulated form. It's pop and dance music (just before that was no longer possible) and full of great songs. This is the album that made New Order MTV stars.

This is not my kind of favorite music, but this album is excellent! The lyrics are very interesting !

Was not expecting to recognize a song right of the bat - I think I actually know "Love Vigilantes" not from this original version but from the Iron & Wine cover. Found my head bobbing to "This Time of Night." Overall it was somewhat forgettable, one I likely won't come back to. But I liked it more than I thought I would.

I like new order, I really do. But aside from Love Vigilantes this album doesn't have much standout material. I kept wishing I was listening to Power, Corruption and Lies. The new wave is strong with these men. The Synths are quite dated but there's a lot to like here.

Fairly generic 80s synth music for the most part. Boring to me overall. "Sunrise" and "Elegia" were surprises though, both solid songs. Sunrise had a stronger backbone throughout the song, and Elegia was a dark and interesting instrumental. Vocals were probably the weakest part - way too soft and crooning.

I love this band and love this album. This is New Order at the peak of their powers!

Surprisingly great, each song has something else that I liked about it, 80s pop with an edge

Holy crap these drums are so good. I'm starting to understand the obsession with that 80's sound but the drums stand out here.

I really like this one. Kind of like rock with 80s driving beats and synths.

I really liked. It's pretty much the same as The Cure or even The Smiths to me, but well, I really like those too.

Perfect mix between synths and guitars

Surprisingly good, a nice mixture of sounds with a really 80s feel

Cool

It is like a visit from an old friend.

BL: I’ve only listened to the hits from new order. I have fond memories of my dad introducing me to blue Monday. But despite the fact that it holds such a strong place in pop culture, I find myself not ever having properly dug into it, so I’m happy to be making this first step today. AL: I loved this album. Existing in a groovy cavern between dance, disco, and ambient electronica. New Order have carved out a very specific niche that not many have broken into, and those that have still pail in comparison. I will be putting this on frequently now, and digging into different new order albums for more listening FT: “Love Vigilante”, “This Time of The Night”, “Sunrise”, “Elegia”, “Face Up” 5/5

80's synth pop with an undercurrent of darkness and academic post-punk--ya know, New Order's whole thing.

Some of you may have already read my story about Peter Hook's impressive pissing stream leading to me killing a stripper on another New Order review. Well, I have one more thing to add to that - that stripper was my own daughter. MY OWN DAUGHTER!

Hot take: New Order > Joy Division. Y'all just are horny for a tragedy.

Love Vigilantes is an amazing album opener. It sets the tone for New Order to take the wheel and drive you straight to the crescendo of their post-Joy Division glory. Solid album.

As good as this type of dance-plus music can be. It's a little angsty, as if we're dancing to forget and be free of the pain. The bass lines and epic and most of the synth hooks hold up. It gets a bit same-y toward the back.

Väldigt trevligt syntpop album. Förståelig melankolisk känsla och en rimlig övergång från joy division och punkrocken. Sången borde varit högre och lite bättre men det var det enda man saknade.

refreshing to hear some vocals that aren't the squeaky clean standard of today. The raw synths complement a great personal emotional foray from the remnants of Joy Division. Standouts are The Perfect kiss, This Time of Night, Elegia and my personal favourite - Sooner Than You Think.

Prefer the old order

Great in places but never really catches fire for me

Couple of good tubes but pretty samey

i really liked “elegia” i thought it was different and really cool. other than that i liked the album but it wasn’t anything special

The songs that predominantly feature guitar are a lot more interesting for me than the synth based songs, even if those songs are mostly enjoyable. At this point, I have had my fill of maudlin British synth-pop, I think.

Expected Blue Monday, got Black Friday

The first really good album I've been given that I haven't heard already. 4.5

Suuuuper 80s and a little emo. I like it a lot more than I was expecting to. Reminds me of some of that old emo punk like early Blink.

fedt

Love it. Sad Boy anthem

This is a great one.

Amazing beat techno really jamming out to this for hours!!

I like New Order and own a compilation disc of their music and one of their 90s releases. I hadn’t listened to this album before. I had heard the first two songs before listening to this but was surprised to discover my favorite stuff in the tracks I had never heard before. Highlights: Love the beats and frogs and sheep and cowbells in “The Perfect Kiss”. The guitars were fantastic in “Sunrise.” Really love this song’s echos of punk music melded with 80s dance. Great song, great intensity! The synth and guitar instrumental “Elegia” was fantastic. Moody. Complex. Beautiful. “Sooner Than You Think” has such great lyrics. Love the music too, those guitars near the end are too good. “Sub-Culture” and “Face Up” seems to end the album on a note that sets a course toward New Order’s future albums. Great New Order album! Had my rating floating between 4 and 5, but “Sunrise” made this one easy to round up.

Ah, New Order. I never had this album, but I knew every song from various compilations, mix tapes, and an obsessed college roommate. Some of these I haven't heard in many years. Although I was a huge fan, I never learned the song titles very well, since they are never very well connected to the lyrics. Thus I didn't make connections later in the download age. Eighties British electronic dance music was my favorite in college, and New Order was right at the top. Although this would probably not be my favorite New Order album, I love it and I was happily brought back in time and I score it on that feeling.

Låter otroligt bra.

Ahead of its time. New Order is fantastic.

mu weeeno full 80tero

Their very best. 8 perfect tracks on long play format, enjoy this from start to finish.

It's so much better than any Joy Division album. Been using "The Perfect Kiss" to test headphones for years now hahah And "Sunrise" was an unexpected banger. Minds of 99 has no doubt taken inspiration from these guys. Oh My God. "Elegia" is amazing. Holy shit I love this. 5

My 17 year old is into New Order and has recently breathed new life into this band for me. Elegia has long been a favourite song of mine but I have not listened to this album for a long time. So it was a pleasure rediscovering it. Faves: Love Vigilantes - is he a ghost? The Perfect Kiss - slightly creepy, Elegia, just beautiful.

I was more familiar with Power, Corruption & Lies. This is a great followup. Moody synths, sort of dancey, not quite as hooky as Blue Monday. Just a great Friday listen.

There was a long time that New Order was a secret guilty pleasure band for me, and this record in particular because electronic/dance was most definitely not my scene. Love Vigilantes has always been a favorite, but damn, I like the dancy bits. Maybe me, but I hear a fair amount of “The Cure” sound in here too with the guitars.

Thought this was brilliant. High energy and intense. "Elegia" was absolutely standout for me, will be listening to it fairly regularly from now on.

New old-sound for this age.

Very nice

Yes I like New Order

One of my favourite New Order albums - love Subculture and Elegia and Face Up

It's a great album and a great way to be introduced to New Order. For someone who had not heard of them.

This surprised me, very much a headphones album with layers and layers. No massive stand out tune and not blown away by vocals but an album to get lost in. 4.5

The debate will always rage about New Order's 80s albums vs the singles, possibly the last group where this a genuine discussion. The Perfect Kiss 12" is better than the album version, they recorded a 17 minute version of Elegia and put out another 12" version of Sub-culture. But it's a pretty perfect album nevertheless.

First time listening. Had it on loop flying back from Malaga at 3am after a long weekend on the piss. Slept most of the flight but whenever I'd wake up, every track was sensational 🤌🏻

Magnificent.

Arguably the best New Order album with start to finish mix of guitars, drums, synths and that bass. Oh how I CAN bear the thought of you!

Прослушано! Отличный альбом, слушать обязательно.

Cannot separate the nostalgia from the music. This is ❤️

Yes NEW ORDER !! TOTALLY INTO THIS !! SEEN THEM 1X AND LISTENED 20X

Jesus christ this album is fucking fantastic

take the Kraftwerk foundation and add enough poppiness to make every track a banger. this scratches multiple itches in my brain: like emotional Stranger Things montage music + bittersweet Cyberpunk denoument music. floored I enjoyed the album this much. 5/5

Awesome album. Full of high notes and high energy songs, as well as contains one of my favourite New Order tracks - Elegia. It is also short and sweet, not too long, not too short. While I think their previous album is a classic (Power, Corruption and Lies), this still comes through as a very string album. I would give it 4.5 out of 5, but there is no such rating, so I will round it up - 5 it is.

Great early alternative rock

This was such a good album. It was right up my alley, my kind of music. The opening and ending (loved face up) were great songs and this time of night.

LOOOOVE

More upbeat than the New Order I’ve listened to recently but love love loved this album. Some of the coolest stuff coming out in that period imo

Erstatta albumversjonen av Elegia med fullversjonen, siden eg har ein svakhet for 17 min lange sanga. Og lure på om detta e første gang eg hørre heile?? Siden iTunes-versjonen eg har alltid skippe ette ca 9 min av ein eller anna grunn. The Perfect Kiss minne meg om han tiktok-fyren eg fulgte før som laga ein dans til den lol. Nostalgisk album med masse bra synth

Am I the 1000th person to say STRANGER THINGS tv series opening title track owes everything to ELEGIA by New Order? To New Order. Their genius. They are the music of my 90s. 7 am drive to uni, grad a free parking spot and wait for the library to open. It's never enough until you're stops beating. The perfect kiss. Dancing under strobes , carefree to Bizaar Love Triangle at the From Nightclub. the rapture and energy of youth. Yes you had to be there. And I was. But I listened to their compilation SUBSTANCE v1&2. (Mostly 2) Not actual albums. So the masterpiece ELEGIA is a revelation to me. Also remembering a perfect kiss.

Amazing album! For me, it's nearly flawless. I love the dark/techno synths, the danceable beats, the thoughtful lyrics, that instrumental, everything. I only did not care much for the first song (it's a great, catchy beat/tune and everything, I just don't care about the subject matter. I also don't like much country, and that's what it sounded like to me) but even that one was still pretty good and the last one, too, which still was not bad. I knew I liked New Order before listening to this album, but I never knew how much. Now THIS is a must-hear-before-you-die album. Definite 5 star from me. <3

New wave sounding… listen again!

Low-Life is great of course, even a bit better than Brotherhood and Technique, which are obviously 5 stars too. But of course the album you expect to see in a list like this is Power Corruption and Lies.

One of my favourite albums of all time

Absolutely delightful. Elegia took my breath away

All the synth pop one could want.

Key tracks: Love Vigilantes, Perfect Kiss, Elegia

Thought it was just going to be shitty 80s synth pop but it was soooo good

Love it! Reminds me of Chicago late 80s.

Rock forward synth - this is a fantastic album by one of my favorite bands. I've known some of these songs for decades, particularly Elegia for being in Pretty In Pink & Perfect Kiss for its cute as heck frog noises (I could probably just hear a loop of the frog noises & be happy). This album is a mix of joy, sorrow, and anguish done in a danceable fashion. I've never seen New Order live as a whole, but I have seen Peter Hook and The Light, and that show was PHENOMENAL. It was at an intimate venue & he did a full Joy Division & a full New Order set. Just spectacular. Great album by a great band. The more I listen, the more I want to get lost in it. 4.5

The more I listen the more I like it

Hell yeah

𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 🐸 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤. 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝙺𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝚒𝚜, 𝚎𝚛, 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚌𝚝. 𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔, 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚡𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚋 𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖. 𝙻𝚘𝚠- 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚋𝚞𝚖 𝚒𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚒𝚎𝚌𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚢𝚗𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚝𝚎𝚖𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚗𝚊𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝. 𝙽𝚎𝚠 𝙾𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚍, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝚔𝚒𝚍𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚏𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚛. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢 𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚍𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚋 𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝙴𝚕𝚎𝚐𝚒𝚊 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝.

"Low-Life" is the third studio album by English rock band New Order. Synth pop, dance-pop and post-punk. Yep. This album is considered among their strongest work completing their transition from post-punk to dance-rockers. There's still some of what I consider post-punk here. They increased the use of synths and samplers. The album did reach the UK top ten. A couple drum beats and Bernard Sumner on the melodica open "Love Vigilantes." The melody chorus. Peter Hook's bass. A searing guitar solo to end the song. A happy-sounding song which tells the story of a soldier returning home to find his wife on the floor with a letter saying he was dead. Was that real? Did he really die? Near the top New Order for me. The first single was "The Perfect Kiss." Complex rhythm. Mutliple percussion sounds. Synth melody. Oh yeah, 80's dance territory. The first side ends with "Sunrise." This is post-punk. It moves fast...great bass, guitar and drums. It's about despair. Is this about their former Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis? Well, side two opens up with a song about Ian Curtis in the instrumental "Elegia." Synths open and build. For some reason, this reminds me of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells." The familiar dirge-like synth open their other single "Sub-culture." The beat comes in. I also like emotionless vocals in a hypnotic song and Sumner has them. The album closes with "Face Up." The song starts with darker, mysterious keys but the song turns happy and dance with Peter Hook's bass, a synth horn and Stephen Morris' drums. Two people were love and now he cannot bear the thought of her. A great song. This a very solid album with no bad songs. It's what I think of when you say a New Order sound. My favorite songs are the last two songs of each side which are basically deep cuts. Is this their best? Yeah, probably, although "Power, Corruption and Lies" and "Technique" are right there.

I am not the world's biggest new wave fan, citing bands like Joy Division among my least favorite. Having only listened to the "hits" by New Order, I wasn't super excited about listening to this one. It's not that I dislike them at all, I just don't get really hyped when I hear Age of Consent (although that riff rips). But I really, really dug this record. The ending of Elegia had me completely immersed into what the band was serving up. The percussive synths throughout bring a consistent life to the album, and the vocals are so much livelier than a lot of new wave stuff. I think overall this album just has a positivity to it (not necessarily lyrically, but in the music) that makes you want to drive a convertible through a mountain road. I'm a convert. You dance rock assholes got me. 5 stars.

Highlights: Love Vigilantes, The Perfect Kiss, This Time of Night, Sunrise, Elegia My favourite New Order album. Elegia is such a beautiful song