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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

...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

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....

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.

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.

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.

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.

Whenever I hear these guys I think about their incredibly unlikely and greatly inspiring journey from the tragic suicide of their singer and creative visionary when they were the super dark proto goth band Joy Division to the absolutely massive club hit "Blue Monday" - still the biggest selling 12" single of all time - only 2 years later. Even just that part of their 40 year story would make for a great biopic; until then, we can get glimpses of it through a handful of scenes in "24 Hour Party People." Very 80's sound, but they kinda originated it so perhaps that's why it sounds better than most. I couldn't explain why I like this but dislike Depeche Mode. Maybe the Joy Division connection confers a certain credibility? Ultimately, this YouTube's user comment on the (awesome, J Demme directed, 10 minute long) "Perfect Kiss" video says it all: Its impressive that New Order has a singer that don't sing, a bassist that thinks he is the guitarist, a drummer that don't know more than one way to play and a synth player that plays a frog solo mid song and still is one of the most amazing bands of all time. Finally, if you were a teenage musician in the 1980s and weren't in a punk or metal band, it's highly likely that your band aspired to sound like a cross between New Order and The Cure (whether you knew it or not, as in the case with the our band that was exactly as good as you might imagine when I tell you our name was "Lesbian Sinecure"). For the fifteen year old rocker, the main difference between the two bands is whether the guitar player uses chorus and flange pedals (The Cure) or the bass player does (New Order).

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

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.

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.

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!!)

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.

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.

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.

Low-life I’ve got this on vinyl funnily enough. I had a bit of a New Order obsession about 15 years ago and I bought some cheap copies of some of their albums. This might not be as well known as Power, Corruption & Lies or Technique, but it’s definitely one of their best, most consistent albums and is probably right at their peak of their mix of post-punk, dance, rock and synth pop. Some songs more straightforwardly pop and some more straightforwardly dance, but all with the distinctive New Order combination of detached, mauldin sincerity. I’ve always loved Love Vigilantes, with its obvious lift from Love Me Do and it’s story about a ghost/non ghost returning from war. And Perfect Kiss is a superb song, a great NO single. This Time of Night is another excellent bit of dance rhythm driven pop, with some great little hooks and a sinister air. Sunrise is one of those NO tracks that starts out unpromisingly, but its prosaic intro turns into something really hypnotic and immersive, a trick they manage to successfully pull over and over - Bernard’s ‘simple’ guitar patterns, Peter Hook’s twangy bass melodies, Stephen’s dancey rhythms and Gillian’s keyboards/synths really are a great combination and elevate what may seem like a basic structure into something really interesting. Sooner Than You Think is probably the only real dip in quality, but it’s still a more than decent NO album track. Elegia is a great bit of cinematic synth pop atmosphere, a little like a John Carpenter soundtrack, brilliantly cool, austere but moving tribute to Ian Curtis. It definitely feels very Low era Bowie, which I guess is nodded to by the album title. Sub-culture, has a very similar sequencing and rhythmic structure to Blue Monday, but is an excellent dance pop song in it’s own right. Face Up has that great NO drum sound, similar to the Temptation re-mix, and has a simultaneously jaunty riff and wistful melody and lyric, a great closing track I hadn’t listened to this in a while and was thinking it was probably a solid 4, but re-visiting it over the weekend it’s become a 5 - it’s an excellent album of great New Order tracks with 4 absolute belters in Love Vigilantes, Perfect Kiss, Elegia and Sub Culture. 🪫🪫🪫🪫🪫 Playlist submission: Elegia

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

It is like a visit from an old friend.

Cool

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

Perfect mix between synths and guitars

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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

It's funny how the opening chords to the lead track "Love vigilantes" sounds *so* much like The Smiths/Cure/Morrissey; I had to double-check I'd opened the right album for the selection of the day. Thankfully, Sumner's voice isn't quite like those bands, and the rest of the album is much more New-Order-y (for good and bad), although I was totally reminded of Yaz and then Dead or Alive ("You spin me round") in the opening chords of the last song on the album ("Face up"). Even though I feel like I've heard New Order a lot on the radio back in the 80s, I'm not actually sure I've ever heard any of the songs on this album. Their sound is somewhat distinctive (at least dating from their transition to the synth-heavy dance-pop that's on this album), but they've never been a favorite of mine, so this is only passably interesting as a blast from the past. (Personally, I'd likely (slightly) prefer Depeche Mode or OMD to these guys, but at least it's not Pet Shop Boys or Duran Duran, I suppose. And kudos to them for having real bass and guitar playing, at least.) Curious that the video and single versions of both "The perfect kiss" and "Sub-culture" are quite different sounding than the album version. I had high hopes for the video for the former, as it was directed by Jonathan Demme, but it's remarkably bland and uninteresting, sadly. I'm not entirely sure why we have two New Order albums in this collection, as it seems like they're kind of a one-trick pony, but trying to figure out the selection method is an exercise in futility.

There's a certain type of 80s music that I've blended into one big swirl d/b/a as Joy Division / New Order / Depeche Mode / Cure / maybe Duran Duran? Pet Shop Boys? Don't know, basically kind of lumped them altogether with the Cure being the only standout and Disintegration being the only album I actually listened to. So when this album started, I really liked the Cure elements in Love Vigilantes (or is it New Order elements in Fascination Street?) and then stopped distinguishing and began enjoying the music. Unfortunately, it all crashed with the next song, Perfect Kiss, which is a big yawn and feels like it could be in a movie starring Hugh Grant. Sunrise which has a sort of attractive desperation, and Elegia is a nice mellow soar. After that, the remaining songs bounced by by innocuously enough.

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.

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

Couple of good tubes but pretty samey

Great in places but never really catches fire for me

Prefer the old order

Expected Blue Monday, got Black Friday

This guy is the worst professional singer I've ever heard. And the music. Even when this was new it sounded dated—like someone just got a new Casio for Christmas and wanted to try out all the presets. I still can't reconcile how these dudes were in Joy Division, a band in which each member brought something new and exciting to their instrument. How they went from that to this is confounding and depressing.

PEDRADA MÁXIMA. infelizmente eh o ultimo new order da lista. não é meu preferido, mas acho que é um dos mais coesos dos mano absurdíssimo!!!!! ouviria esse aqui todo dia o dia todo durante o resto da minha vida!!

so good

There are a lot of fun songs in new wave.

While I'm quite familiar with Joy Dovosion I had never listened to the band post Ian Curtis suicide before today, but Im super glad I did Now. This album is such an I credible vibe front to Back, peak new wave that just makes you want to move while still being sonically interesting and deep, very Atmospheric. Great discovery

Perfect record by a perfect band no notes

HOLY SHREDDER ON SUNRISE

Love Vigilantes and Elegia are the best songs on this album, maybe of their entire career as New Order. One of my favorite bands so I was excited to see them on the list!

This was really special

Increíble. Banger tras banger.

Part of the absolutely incredible run of albums that are all favourites of mine.

80s pop rock without too much cheese

This album is amazing, it’s the best so far. I added “Love Vigilante” to my favorites the second time listening to it. I also added like half the album to my playlists.

Really good

I love everything about this. Sonically it's perfect, there isn't a bad song on it, and it makes me imagine my parents, aunts and uncles dancing in 80s nightclubs

Awesome first listen. Big fan of the guitar sounds on this album

A BANGERRRRE! Love New Order. Elegia best track on this one 👌👌👌

New Order has always been one of my favorite bands for lifting my spirits. They’ve done an amazing job blending synthpop with post punk and alternative rock while staying at the forefront of electronic music. What I appreciate most is how their music stands the test of time. This album feels like the point where their sound became more refined, marking a new phase in their evolution.

Nostalgic

New Order at the peak of their powers. Synth-pop perfection from front to back.

Excellent stuff. Really enjoyed this.

I own some of these tracks on New Order Singles, I haven't heard these: This Time of Night Sunrise Sooner Than You Think Face-up I own Singles, Substance and Get Ready on CD so I'm a New Order fan. I learned a little bit about Joy Division looking this album up too, so I think I'll explore their work more since New Order was founded from the remaining members. I love this sound and the vocalist, and this is definitely a 5 star for me.

5 Stars (14/15)

New Order has always been one of my favorite bands for lifting my spirits. They’ve done an amazing job blending synthpop with post-punk and alternative rock while staying at the forefront of electronic music. What I appreciate most is how their music stands the test of time. This album feels like the point where their sound became more refined, marking a new phase in their evolution.

Brilliant

Loved this on a crisp fall morning walk.

I love New Order!!

Damn, this is full of bangers! I thought I only knew Blue Monday, but Love Vigilantes sounds familiar

I see the argument that this album can feel a bit rough around the edges, but in my opinion that actually works to the album's strengths, having it not feel overproduced, or "glossy". The mix of guitars and synths is almost unmatched by how well New Order manage it, and the wide range of influences that they take really makes this my favourite album of theirs.

As good as new wave gets! Dancy, but also intelligent, thoughtful, and meaningful.

I've been a huge Joy Division fan for a while, but never really checked out New Order. I am glad to say I enjoyed this. It reminds me a lot of the early Cure works. The singing isn't the best but I think it fits the music well. My favorite thing about this album is the production and the way all of the instruments and synths sounds together. Low 5.

Peak 80s, but actually sounds good? Sick

Love it

It's New Order. it gets 5 stars.

I love an album that starts with heavy hitters and builds, it feels like any of the first four tracks could be the strongest one yet. Tons of energy, amazing bass sound and keyboards. The instruments are clear and distinct in the mix. After Sunrise it's the perfect time to slow things down with the instrumental Elegia. The rest of the second half is upbeat again, with Sub-culture being my favorite on the side and maybe the record. Very nostalgic synth sound for me. 8 songs, 40 minutes, perfect length. Everything's good so I can't help but give this top marks.

SO GOOD

If I’m gonna have a synth pop 80s record on my top page I think it’s gonna be this one. Loved this one so much. Maybe even better than PC&L?

i have to admit i slightly wrote off new order when i first tried to listen several years ago, thinking that the difference in style wasnt enough to overcome my fundamental disconnect that i also have with joy division. idk whats happened in the years since but this is one of the most Completely and Instantly good times ive had with these so far....maybe its just getting a Little More Morbid (these are still Goth Classics), maybe its the group having drifted further away at this point from the joy division routes, maybe its acknowledging that i basically want all music ever to have big synthesizers, maybe its just an undeniably tight and hard hitting tracklist idk FHJFS all i know is this is the coolest warehouse trip ever and i wish i could dance

I never really managed to get into New Order in the same way I did Joy Division. I tried listening to Power, Corruption & Lies and, although I love Age Of Consent, couldn’t get past how different We All Stand sounded. I should have started with Low-Life, because this is exactly how I want my New Order to sound, still with the Gothic edge and darkness that comes from their Post-Punk roots, but with the sparkle of electronica. There’s a sort of typical 80’s-ness about this, because it sounds like the best of the Alternative, left of the dial stuff, mixed with the best of the Electronica stuff that was really starting to make it’s mark. A Platonic ideal of 80’s music would possibly sound like Low-Life. I’ve talked about Platonic Idealism, or I suppose Transcendental Idealism, before, during my review of Tubular Bells. The difference in my attitude here is that Tubular Bells feels like a particular case of an artists actively seeking to create a Platonic Ideal of music as complex sound. What Low-Life is doing is accidentally creating an amalgamation of notable trends in music of their era, and therefore creating an almost perfect storm of styles. It’s not accidentally genius, it’s genius is clear to see, is tangible. But it’s genius as representation of an Ideal of music styles in the mid 80’s by definition cannot have been planned. And yet it is still there, this is what comes to mind when someone says ‘80’s Music’ to me. And I love it. Well, time to give Power, Corruption & Lies another go then

Beautiful melodies and a great flow of music with a rousing rhythm.

New Order is a band I always knew about but didn't listen to. Metal kid back then and liked heavy and heavier music. Now I listen and know I missed out on some killer tunes. This album is nostalgia and old friends long gone and soundtracks for 80's coming of age movies. Simpler times when going to school 5 days a week was the hardest thing in life.

This album starts with a New Order live classic Love Vigilantes, I have great memories of this song live when I saw them at the O2 many years back. Some of my favourite new order songs are on this album like The Perfect Kiss and Sub-Culture this album doesn’t have any of the big hitters yet its strong! Favourite song: Subculture Least favourite: Sooner than you think. Album artwork: Great cover

Из-за наличия Elegia хочется поставить 5 баллов. В целом альбом звучит в духе новой волны, прям квинтэссенция жанра.

I think I'll listen again when it gets seasonable.

Actually Barney is a great singer but the rest of the band miss all the notes.

imagine how much improved this would have been if auto-tune had existed in 1985. or would it?

Having only heard of New Order before from the singles "Blue Monday" and "Ceremony", I can say this album was quite the treat. It's good vibing post-punk complete with popping synthesizers, well-accented percussion from Stephen Morris, and Bernard Sumner's effortless vocal delivery. Tracks like "The Perfect Kiss", "Sunrise" and the instrumental "Elegia" pop off remarkably well, and the guitars get some time in the limelight on "Sooner Than You Think". Perhaps the songwriting and production are not consistently up to the high standard set by "Blue Monday", but there's no denying the group's performance is well done here. It's worth checking out if you're curious. Update 1/20/2025: I decided to revisit this album for its 40th anniversary, after listening to two hundred-plus albums and hearing "Elegia" during the funeral scene in Stranger Things. I will admit now that the production and songwriting on Low Life is just as good as "Blue Monday", and that every track popped off well. I can pick up more incredible guitar and bass lines, and Bernard's lyrics take a more striking melancholy. The lone exception of course is "Elegia", which is appropriately haunting as a tribute to fallen brother Ian Curtis, who fronted Joy Division before taking his life and the subsequent band became what we now know as New Order. I'm glad to have revisited Low Life as this album can go toe-to-toe with some of the best synth-pop albums I've heard thus far.

love New Order, they're usually in my rotation. The Perfect Kiss is the best song on this album.

I've seen a lot of things in the reviews on here, including THAT Napalm Death review, but nothing quite so surprising as to see New Order referred to as 'the band who did that one song'. But, I guess kids will keep happening. I am getting old. I very much grew up with this band, more than any other probably. Mostly Substance. Much later I grew to appreciate Power Corruption and Lies, their best album - oddly not included here (but I guess I understand the rationale of this one instead). I played Substance to death throughout, I was old enough when Technique came out to be fully immersed in it, and Republic followed years later when they all hated eachother. Low-Life was the first full album before those I was able to go back to and love in full. Elegia is lovely, This time of night is weird. Sunrise is great. Sooner than you think sounds oddly contemporary, because listening in 2024 that synth sound has come absolutely right back in. Whereas Face Up is dated to a joyful degree, reminds me of Stock Aitken and Waterman! They would co-opt this sound a year or two later with most of the cast of Neighbours, one at a time. I think even love rat Dr Karl Kennedy had a music career at one point. So, for the uninitiated, some facts. Yes, Barney isn't a great singer - you might have heard why he's the singer though. The 12" of Perfect Kiss is an absolute must listen, the 5 minutes included here cannot hope to contain it's full greatness. There are better versions of Subculture out there, go find them (I always find the Low-Life version slightly anaemic, but it's a terrific song!). Including, weirdly, one released as a promo single on a magazine. It's flawed as fuck but I don't care. 5 stars

When I was younger, I'd occassionally go to a club and you'd always expect to hear New Order. Always. Always. It wasn't a good night until you heard a few New Order songs. And maybe Dead or Alive. But these songs you always heard. It literally was the music of my youth. So good.

This album represents New Order’s transition from a straight post-punk band to a more synth-rock/dance rock band. The album starts with a more straightforward song before adding more electronic elements culminating in a full synth rock production. It is one of the best transitions I’ve ever heard. In a groundbreaking career, this is one of New Order’s best albums and that is about the highest praise I can give it.