Low-Life

Interesting, but not my cup of tea. It sounds like it would find a platformer game at times though

Was concerned about this because I didn't much care for Joy Division, but this was more poppy and fun (and thus more me lol). Turns out the best thing Macclesfield did for culture was to kill Ian Curtis. #Maccpride First song was very good, stayed good. Not always sure about the lyrics

Bin mit Joy Division ja nie so richtig warm geworden, aber das hier ist super!

Mein Favorit von ihnen.

My little research fingers tell me that Technique landed almost exactly a year ago for this project. For a band I generally like quite a bit, Technique fell very flat. Low-Life, by comparison, soars. Possibly my favorite album by them. Their Joy Division roots are alive and well, but uplifted by an excitement of invention and discovery that's hard to deny. Absolute ripper of an album.

I gave this a listen without really being that engaged. I opened the website, all ready to write my little post about how I kinda like New Order, but much like with Jane’s Addiction, I find myself wanting to like it more, but it never really clicks. Sounds like a three-star and move on to me. But then I saw a review drop from my Project Partner. Five stars. Words like “soars” and “ripper” were used. Now, given other words like “cheerleader” have been used to describe his album reviews, five stars are not necessarily head-turning. However, I decided to give the album another spin. And Lowell and behold, after the second spin, I confirm this is a three-star album (in the context of this list).

Pas ouf

Listening to this, I hear so many things that influenced other bands.

Didn't hold my attention all the way through, but I liked quite a bit of it.

Excellent use of synth. But singing sucks and lyrics are often really awkward. I wanted to love this and couldn't.

I felt like I was going to dislike this record as soon as I heard the vocals on the first track, but I think the storytelling made up for it. The rest of the record was quite pleasant as well. Favourite Track(s): Love Vigilantes Least Favourite Track(s): Face Up

It wasn't someone you'll catch me ever really wanting to listen to. 80s synth, bad vocals, new wave in ways that I just didn't care for. However I can see how it was influential to certain artists. bleh...

didn’t feel much

Didn't expect to like this as I find synth-pop a bit hit and miss, but this delivered. Really enjoyed listening to this. Elegia was my fav song and first listen of the album. Sub-culture and The Perfect Kiss were my other highlights

This is the stuff Gen X dads listen to when they're doing yard work -- nothing is a singable bop but the sound is super varied and is excellent background music, keeps you interested and engaged but not too focused on the sound

Monday, 7 September, 2026 Labor Day! Great first side. Second side is just ok. “Sunset” is a killer track.

Production bad, Whiney vocals, okay songs. I like it a lot more than I’m letting on, and if I was in a sad boy mood I would like this a lot more. It’s good despite those things honestly.

I hate Blue Monday so went into this with some trepidation and loved it. Sounds like a poppier Joy Division and almost like Cure at one point. Great sound and I could have given it four but didn’t feel it was one I would buy.

Too alternative for my taste.

I liked but didn't love this.

Good album. Enjoyed every track. I’m a fan of the band. There’s more synth work in these earlier albums. Classic new wave material. 4.5

1985. Third studio album. Considered to be among the band's strongest work, displaying the moment they completed their transformation from post-punk to dance-rock.

I'm listening through 1001 albums mostly while at work. Great albums cut through the working stuff and make me listen - it's a five. Bad albums I don't finish - it's a one. Poor albums just pass by - it's a two. Solid albums make me run them 2-3 times throughout the day, just to give them another chance to cut through - some do, then it's a four, and some don't - then it's a three. This one is three. Solid, but I'd prefer Joy Division or Depeche Mode.

New Order know how to make a beat. Pretty slick album, short and sweet, a couple of repetitive songs (back end of Sub Culture is unnecessary) but overall enjoyable and with not much tampering could see it as a 4. What I like about it is there’s a distinctiveness to it that inexplicably marks it out as New Wave, they have their own sound despite being fundamentally similar to other bands of the same era and genre. One of those listens I’m never going to be mad about.

It's like pop club culture meets The Cure.  They both have an amazing melodic bass line and brooding dimness. This seems like the "brighter" of the 2 to me, and when it comes to the emotional and atmospheric depth, The Cure wins.  Anyway, I only make these comparisons in respect of New Order as never really listened to before or appreciated.  Maybe due to pop synth crap I typically would avoid. "Sub-Culture" was weak and made me think exactly that standard 80s pop.  It's too catchy "club classic" with unconvincing dull vocals.  But when you have songs like Elegia which was my favorite which was haunting and cinematic this album does indeed have another side. More than happy to conceed on this album this is excellent and had enough for me to consider it reasonably standout.

I actually quite like the electronic experimentalism of this album. Particularly the more ambient, instrumental tracks. Definitely a vibe and interesting for the time. What I can't get behind is the naff, low energy vocals. At times it is almost like he is taking the piss to see whether he can get away with it. Overall too poppy and annoying for me but at least they were trying to do something a bit different.

Some if this is good stuff but then Bernard Summer sings.

This started out very promisingly with Love Vigilantes, which was far and away my favorite song here. The rest just felt sort of annoyingly 80s synth whatever stuff. I mostly enjoyed the flat vocals, at least.

I have to say this has been a journey for me already. My feelings about this album are a perfect example. I have had it at least once with my multiple projects. The first time, it was still overshadowed by my teenage rejection of New Order post Joy Division. My love for Joy Division, when I discovered them at 13, was deep and irrational. I could not accept a band that went on without Ian Curtis to become more successful and popular. The word “popular” itself was an incrimination. But each time I return to this album I am impressed by how it works on me. It really is composed. It creates a unified world. So that’s a 5. 5 Boolean: True

Love it

Eh

The songs are catchy and all. I would probably rate it a lot higher if the lyrics weren't so goddamn awful. They're SO on the nose and some of the rhymes are so forced. It's so bad that I can't understand why anyone would actually enjoy it. The best song was the instrumental one because again, musically it's fine. But I'm so completely puzzled about why it's on this list, let alone the fact the band is actually popular. It goes to show how many people don't give a shit about lyrics and I find that really sad.

*Low-Life* has New Order operating at 100% capacity, fully engaged and devoted to breaking new ground with their dance-rock sonics.

obviously im aware of new order but i dont think ive ever just sat down and listened to any of their albums before? either way this is a pretty good one. just some real solid 80s synth-pop. other than the upbeat (lyrics aside) banger "face up", i think i enjoy this album most at its moodiest, with highlights being the gritty synths of "this time of night" and the atmospheric pads of "sunrise". but i think my favourite track might be the haunting instrumental "elegia". i love that one so much. it's awesome. sorry for yet another 4 star review but like. it's what it is. yknow? for what it's worth this is on the higher end of a 4 but it's not like i can represent that on the scale, so...

In one ear and out the other.

I don't think I recognize any of these tracks by title, but then again, I'm not very familiar with New Order in general. I believe this is my first time listening to a New Order album start-to-finish. This is what I expected. I'm just not a fan of New Order, and this isn't bad, but pretty meh. It all seems like it's more style than substance.

glaub nonie würkli öpis vo ihne glost. aber man kennt sie? the perfect kiss goht recht ine ok ok. elegia isch jo huuuuere geil omg. instrumental aber super atmosphärisch wooow.

I like New Order in principle, but not so much in reality. They have so many songs I really like, and yet this album was just hugely disappointing. Barney's voice is weak, the production isn't great and none of the songs really stick with me. I can't *hate* it, but I can't even bring myself to give a 3. No desire to listen again after three attempts.

I had never heard this, but thought that it was an outstanding album. It genuinely drew me in, Elegia is incredible.

One of my favorites

"I looked into her hand and I saw the telegram / Said that I was a brave, brave man, but that I was dead" I love New Wave, and New Order definitely is a pioneer of the genre, especially with its Joy Division past. This album isn't their strongest work, but remains very listenable and high-quality nonetheless. "Love vigilantes" is a top-tier New Order track with its catchy melody and captivating lyrics. "Elegia" is another standout track with an awesome atmosphere and synth-heavy track. I think this album truly stands the test of time, and although its not their best, it deserves atleast a 4/5

Best songs: - Love Vigilante - Sunrise

Mostly good

New Order was amazing in the 80s, totally relevant and exciting. Unfortunately I just don’t think this has aged well. Rather than being expressive of what music was like at a particular moment, this just feels a bit dated.

it's alright can get a 3 Will I listen to again: 20%

It's a testament to this band that they could rise from the ashes of Joy Division and continue to produce such high-caliber material. Low-Life features excellent production and a strong set of songs.

The vocals take some getting used to, but the music is classic 80's synth-pop. Fun listen.

it was fiiiiiiiiine

album #129 musically, this is pretty cool but i just do not vibe with sumner's vocal performances. elegia, however, made me ascend! it was so beautiful!!! ಄ favourite track(s): elegia ಄ least favourite track(s): love vigilantes, the perfect kiss ಄ album rating: ★★☆☆☆ ಄ number of albums left to review: 960 ಄ number of albums i agree with being on the list: 57 ಄ albums from the list that i would consider for my list: 25 ಄ albums i would not include on my list: 104

This is not at all my usual type of thing but for some reason it hit me. I enjoyed a lot of it.

This is awesome. It’s like, exactly my kind of music. If the songwriting was a little bit more consistent it’d be a 5, but unfortunately there are a few songs which aren’t quite as good as the rest.

All-timer for me. I think "The Perfect Kiss" is a perfect song. It brings me back to checking out ee cummings books from the library and choking on bummed cigarettes as a pretentious teenager. I listened to this on a busted Walkman at the stairway entrance to a tunnel going under the Intrabecause it was as Manchester as I could get in my home town. Canonically, the first two New Order albums are the necessary ones, and really, you have the bases covered with "Blue Monday," but this is the album I think about when I think New Order albums, dated handclaps and all.

Some great tunes here and the band is sequenced and in frequency, with some killer synth and drum machine sounds to go along with excellent analog playing. Love the frog chorus on the terrific “The Perfect Kiss.” “Elegia” is a gorgeous instrumental, fit for a film score. Unfortunately, a few tracks showcase Bernard Sumner’s limitations as a vocalist — he really strains to hit high notes, especially on closer “Face Up.”

Another one I listened to incessantly in my teens and 20s when it was new. Still think "Love Viigilantes" is a silly name for a song.

I’ve actively hated all the techno-adjacent albums I’ve been served, but I like this a lot.

4/10 Fun but not to memorable for me

The music on this album is synth-heavy pop rock. You can definitely tell it's from the 80s. It's not super cheesy though, it has catchy hooks and that sense of dark urgency to it that sometimes happens in this kind of music.

Just some damn good synthpop all around. 4.5 bumped down to 4.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’d like to leave there, but I’ll bump it down to a 4. I liked the album. It’s just a bit much. This album’s biggest strength is simultaneously its biggest weakness; the synth work here feels really, really well done for 1985, bridging the gap between earlier atmospheric synthpop & the Depeche Mode-y darkness to come down the line. There’s tracks here that would feel distinctly more like Depeche Mode with a bit more vocal depth, and I think that’s the mark of a band that knows what they’re doing. It’s a really strong 40 minutes. It also means it’s roughly 40 minutes of songs that feel pretty damn similar throughout, and that can easily cause a fatigue that just struck me kinda hard. At a certain point, I found myself losing track of these tracks in a bad way, and rewinding to try & catch what I had missed, only to find there wasn’t really that much I had missed. There’s just a fatigue from this much synthwork. A blessing & a curse. The weakest part here, and one of the bigger reasons I’m bumping this down to a 4, comes in Bernard Sumner’s vocals; when I said some tracks would feel more like Depeche Mode with extra depth, it’s practically a less harsh plea for better vocals on a lot of these tracks. It’s not that Bernard is that bad; he generally fits with some of the drier tones of the instrumentals. When he’s bad though, it’s pretty noticeable; he lags behind on a few tracks by a quarter-beat, he’s a bit pitchy at times, and on the last track, he puts in a really, really halfhearted effort that lessens the impact of it as a closing track for the whole project. Between all of that & a few weirder intros/outros, it just doesn’t fully come together as a 5 for me. I’d love to keep it at a 4.5, because for as much mild complaining as I’ve done, those complaints really didn’t impact my listening experience that much. These tracks feel like they could be synthpop classics, especially “Sunrise” & “Elegia”. I don’t think there’s a really bad one here. It’s just not the most cohesive album from top to bottom, and the fatigue just got to me. It’ll hit worse for others, but this still has a strong enough core where the floor should be a 3. For me, it’s a 4.5 bumped down to a 4, but one I’d recommend regardless.

Love New Order. Backed this up with Substance

It seems to me that New Wave is either complete crap or excellent. No in between. This one is one the excellent end, but the lower end of excellent. Not quite a 5.

I like the vibe of this album. Sure, the production could be better, but I really enjoy this kind of melancholic, disillusioned, typical '80s aesthetic.

Was a bit disappointed in this album. Expected more from a New Order album since I love their singles

legalzinho bem anos 80 não deu tanta vontade de escutar outra vez

I like New Order, so this was always likely to score highly, even though it was one of their earlier albums that I hadn't listened to before. Perfect Kiss is a popular track. I love the frog noises at the end. Sub-culture was another great track that I had heard before. However, the fantastic Sunrise was new to me. Imagine Ian Curtis' vocals on that song. It could have been a Joy Division classic, but as it is, it's just a great New Order deep cut. Elegia is another fantastic track. The only song that I didn't care for was Face Up, the musical equivalent of a noisy annoying person turning up when you have a migraine! I'm intrigued as to how New Order come up with the titles of their songs. Most titles bear no relation to the song lyrics and it's pretty hilarious. Lyricwise it's not great, most songs are pretty simple with no deep meaning, but I don't go to New Order for profound lyrics. It's Peter Hook's driving bass, it's the perfect cohesion of guitars and electronica, it's Bernard Sumner's plaintive vocals. My cat, Barney, is named after him! It was always going to be 5 stars.

Pas malade mais pas déplaisant non plus.

Strong 3.5. Fav: The Perfect Kiss, This Time of Night, Elegia, Sooner Than You Think.

A journey through sentimentality and the future of 80’s dance music

New Order's catalogue is consistently strong, but Low-Life might be my favorite of the band's studio albums. Of course the most essential release is the Substance compilation.

really really love this highlights: this time of night, SUNRISE, elegia

good fun dancey time for a friday. enjoyed

Arrangementerne er så gode og det meste af tiden fungerer det overraskende godt, at sangeren ikke er mega god, engang i mellem bliver det dog lige falskt nok for mig

Virkelig et sweet spot mellem synthy og punket

Sounds like The Cure - Just without Robert Smith. 3+

I had no idea Bernard Sumner was such a bad singer in the early days before the polish and maybe less taxing vocal range of songs like Blue Monday, True Faith and World In Motion. Objectively 2. But I came of age to New Order and this is a subjective list so.. 3½★

i really really liked this. i think maybe the last song was the only one i didn't care for as much but wow. so energizing so alternative so awesome. 4.5 but leaning 5 for the rating.

Very enjoyable, high quality across the board

Me from college would have liked this more.

New wave music....why is there so much of it! This is like the marriage of mid-80s Cure and INXS. Which I guess means better than 90% of New Wave music? They definitely took a slightly darker direction on this album. This Time of Night could be a Cure song, in fact for all I know it is a Cure cover. Elegia sounds like they saw Nightmare on Elm Street and thought that would make a kick-ass song. Of course it's in Stranger Things, or as I like to call it, Generation X nostalgia porn. This sounds like midi files. Face Up is the worst song on the album to close things out.

Lovely!

This album is a high 3 / low 4 for me. I first heard of New Order when Supreme released a set of clothes featuring a flower print from the band's album Power, Corruption, and Lies. I enjoyed that album and Low-Life has a very similar sound. I think my favourite track would be "Love Vigilantes"

100/100

Что-то эта дивизия слишком радостная, кажется здесь теперь какие-то новые порядки

The perfect kiss обожааааю

Хороший альбом, держат марку

неизвестный для меня их альбом, звучит все равно неплохо, но скорее - 3

New order enter their imperial phase. They were all getting on and taking just the right amount of drugs. A masterpiece.

J'ai pas accroché au début puis à partir de "Sunrise" j'ai adoré. Du coup je sais pas si j'étais juste pas dedans au début et en fait c'est bien. Bref je met 4 et si ça se trouve la réécoute sera mieux

C'était sympa je pense qu'on est pas très loin d'un 4

This isn't the type of genre I would choose to listen to but to its credit, I enjoyed this.

Much more mid than I had it in my head for what New Order sounded like

6/10

Album was okay, just not my cup of tea, but it was alright I could see how someone would like it, no standouts

Kuulatav, aga pole märkimist väärt. Mitte ükski lugu siit ei jäänud meelde. Huvitav (samas veider produ) ning mõmisev briti vokaal on New Orderi tunnus ning mulle selle ajastu New Wave ei mõju väga hästi. 2.4/5

Fucking brilliant.

ça va, quelques sons sont vraiment bien mais ils se ressemblent tous un peu ça mérite ubne deuxieme ecoute et voir ce que ça donne

J'ai trop aimé leur son un peu électro dynamique, vibe un peu Depeche Mode moins dépressif j'ai trouvé

J’ai mis en fond, c’était bien !

Encore un parfait exemple d'un album que j'ai écouté 3 fois et j'arrive toujours pas a me souvenir de ce que j'en ai pensé, donc ça m'a pas marqué

I liked a few songs on this album but nothing in the way of Joy Division. Unfortunately, most of the album is mediocre at best, if not downright banal or play-by -number pop trash. Not my favorite at all. It wasn't a complete disaster as I did enjoy Love Vigilantes, Sunrise, and Elegia. But the rest was just banal. I can't even get this to a 3: 2 "barely hanging by their nails" stars.

Lost Vigilantes The Perfect Kiss Sub-Culture

Interesting, could well be a fan if i invested more time.

Love the synth

Very 80’s. Some of it sounds like The Cure. Lots of synths

sogood - 5 stars here just to even out the idiots

One of the few albums where the back end actually saved it. The instrumental tune is sick.

New Order emerged from the ashes of Joy Division Vocals okay. Drum machines. Electronic instruments dominate. Dance music Best two songs are Love Vigilantes and Sunrise. Nice guitar work on both songs. Some good songs but still an average album. Three stars.

I love Joy Division but I've never really listened to much New Order. This was a pleasant surprise. I heard elements that reminded me of The Cure sound in the early to mid 80s.

Very solid effort

Yuck

Originally was going to give this 4 stars, but I forgot to rate it and decided to give it a fresh listen. Liked it even more a second time and will be giving it a 5. Not a bad song here Favorite Track - Love Vigilantes Least Favorite Track - Elegia ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Better than some other albums of the 80s uk pop.

To the untrained ear, all New Order albums basically sound the same. I have untrained ears.

New Order habe ich in bisher nicht wirklich wahrgenommen und jetzt (neu) entdeckt. Es gab viel schlimmeres in den letzten Monaten zu hören.

Amazing, loved it

Shitty British post punk. This reminds me a little of Tears for Fears but way worse. 1.5 stars

I cannot understate how much I hate synth-pop.

This is good but there isn’t a lot that distinguishes it from other 80s British rock. You get Morrisey-like vocals, a tears for fears style synth ( with notably less use), a rhythm section that sounds like The Cure and lyrics that can’t stand up to any of those bands. I can’t deny this is good and it might be important, but you can’t deny you already get a fair taste of 80s British electro rock from this list and life in general.

Never the same without Ian... Still a good album, very melancholic. Vocals a bit weaker, instrumentally good. 4/5

Getting through the whole thing feels like being hammered by a sequence of singles which are a variation on the same theme. Not bad singles feels like a stretch to make it a whole album 3.4

New Order is another New Wave band that, in hindsight, can only be described as overrated. Not quite as annoying as the B-52's, which I listened to yesterday, but by no means good. I'll spare you the long explanation and wrap this up with two stars.

3.2/5 - Not for me. I think the music is still objectively quite cool, but third track in and it all sounds the same to me. Fav Track: no preference, maybe Elegia but only by a hair

pretty good, but probably wouldn't revisit

..

A good album, i liked Face Up the most.

British pop. Sometimes it makes for great music and sometimes it's just plain boring. This album is in the latter category.

exactly what you would want out of 80s synthpop album. good but not very notable

Not sure about this, singing is really dodgy in places. Songs really aren't that strong.

Mostly passed me by except the first track.

This was solidly fine. Good background noise while doing other things but ultimately pretty forgettable.

Notable Textzeile: Now you must decide What good's a lie when you've nothing to hide? Maps they'll never show They're dumb like you, they never know It's time we said goodbye Musik aus meinem Geburtsjahr - ich sag nur in 1985, Orwell was proved right. Direkt im ersten Song kommt ein Telegram vor, herrlich anachronistisch. Ich würde gerne einmal eine Abhandlung darüber lesen, warum ab den späten 70ern so viele eigentlich irgendwie (Indie/Porg/Pop-Rock)-Gruppen so orchestral sein wollen wie hier z.B. bei Elegia. Das hat mich sehr rausgehauen, während der Rest ja recht klassisch strukturierte Pop-Songs sind, die alle über den Bass- und Gitarrensound unverkennbar JoyOrderNewDevision ist (während die Drums ja 10.000fach in den 80ern so klangen wie hier). Thematisch ist das eine bemerkenswerte Bandbreite von Vietnamveterangeist, Freund mit Knarre, seltsamen Nichtsnutzvermissen, Elternteilgoodanklage, Streit mit Freundesperson, Alleinsein und sich Fragen warum das alles, Jemand ist weg denn man bewundert hat und an den man nicht mehr denken möchte - oh wait… Klaassische 3

I do like this. But how much? This is a singles band. Do we really need deep dives? IS THIS MY IDEA OF A GOOD TIME ? If only there was a contemplative beat to accompany my quandary. Oh wait...

Die 80er waren für mich einfach ein Jahrzehnt der Singles. Ein Song mit Synthies sorgt hier und dafür frohes Gemüt. Ein ganzes Album macht mich aggressiv.

I started this album out grumbling about its innate Britishness. But I gave it a fair shake and found myself liking this 80s rock. But it was "Elegia" which really sealed the deal for me as I realized I had heard it before, and connected it with Stranger Things (used in season 1 as it turned out). Connections to pop tv culture aside, if you like 80s rock at all you're likely going to find some songs in here that you vibe with. 4/5

I don't think there is very much to add to my comments about Technique. On Low-Life, as on the later record, New Order feel very lucky. Anything they hit upon - and there are certainly good moments - is good fortune rather than the result of consideration. Everything is up in the mix and going all at once, which is in keeping with the vision of them as kids exploring a new technology they didn't understand, but doesn't suggest much in terms of vision or discernment. In comparison to the other British synthpop groups we've listened to so far - PSB and Soft Cell; The Cure, although only Japanese Whispers is a genuine synth record and it's not on the list - there is no sense of perspective, as one gets with Neil Tennant, and no glimpse behind the curtain, as with Marc Almond. As with everything else in the discography, the words that fall out of Bernard Sumner's mouth do so almost by chance. They certainly seem to bear no relationship with the music - the effect, again, of the group losing a clear artistic force in lyricist and singer, Ian Curtis. The fact that New Order is able to make so much from such uncertainty is remarkable, really, and doesn't take away from the occasions when things - inexplicably - work. However, those occasional successes also offer an uncritical lifeline to other pieces that would fall apart if given proper scrutiny. Of Love Vigilantes, Sumner said: " I decided to write a redneck song. It was quite tongue-in-cheek. It was about Vietnam." In what way is that apparent or appropriate? In what way does it contribute to New Order as a serious artistic force? It only makes sense if we accept New Order as a bunch of Manchester chancers with an amazing streak of luck. 2 Another New Order album and another chance to reflect on just how much more than the sum of their parts are The Cure. What a trudge this was. The lyrics are inelegant and naive. Bernard Sumner’s dull, four-square melodies lumber on. He sings like he knows he’s singing shit. Why does no one else know it? How is it possible that anyone cares about this? I visited the Wikipedia page for the album in absolute bafflement. Neil Tennant thought it was very good, apparently. 1/5

Had their other album about 3 weeks ago, and really enjoyed that. This album, even though I like the style, didn’t have as many cool basslines or mémorable songs. Also, the vocals were at times disturbingly out of key

I love them, first 2 tracks 5 but the rest of this album ehhh 2.5/3

Elegia takes to a place that is other. It's the thin line between calm and stress. The tension it holds feels like a smell that immediately brings a distant memory into the present. Visceral.

Proof that guitars and drum machines can live in perfect harmony.

2.5. Sole good songs, but really dislike the 80s production.

I loved New Order growing up - freshman year Donny Krugers friend would play Blue Monday everyday in the parking lot after school; small Honda Civic with big speakers. Substance double album saw heavy rotation in my playlist for next 10 years. I would later discover and fall in love with Joy Division. Anyway this album is entertaining but not their best. I would happily put this on anytime. 4/5

I enjoyed this. It was a nice listen but idk if I’d revisit it

Day917 - love vigilantes is the one i was most familiar with. i’m excited to see them inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame this year

Gillar New Order men har inte lyssnat på så många hela album, helt klart dags att börja

Klassiskt 80-tal som alltid känns kul att lyssna in sig på lite mer!

Väldigt opretentiöst för att vara 80-talet, men också najs!

Jag är väldigt svag för denna typ av sound.

My husband made me listen to this twice. For him, this is a 5. For me, a 4. Why? He thinks every song is perfect. He thinks I still judge it for not being Joy Division. After the second listen I can say definitively: every song is great. Some are amazing. But it keeps to the middle tones and doesn’t deviate from the middle wave. I NEED more bass, generally. The eeriness against the synth pop flights of fancy has always worked, and Bernard’s half spoken slightly flat vocals are actually awesome. But I need the music to move away from the middle. Sorry. It has nothing to do with Joy Division per se. 4 Boolean:: true

1.5. The beats to every song sounded the same, the lyrics or vocals weren’t captivating to me, and I kind of just wanted to fall asleep. Nothing pulled my attention.

Ok I’ve listened to this album like 3 times since it popped up as I keep needing to confirm I actually like it. And I can confirm, these guys rock. Insanely cool beats. But what’s with the obsession of the 80’s bands that have kinda shitty lead singers? I’m looking at you Talking Heads. This guy annoyed me, but not as bad as them.

Not bad, but not particularly inspiring.

I listened twice through and I liked the general vibe, but didn’t have much I’d deem memorable. I liked the instrumental Elegia halfway through for some reason. Light 3

I like New Order

Seriously? NOPE 1.0

Definitely have better albums

1. love - 0 2. kizz - 1 3. night - 2 4. zunrize - 1 5. elegia - 1 6. think - 1 7. culture - 1 8. face - 1

Kinda catchy, kinda dated.

Pretty snappy. Nice wee gothy new wavy thingy. Enjoyable with supple lamb, mint jellies, and generous ennui.

Terrific instrumentation and production (at least on the 2015 remaster I listened to) highlight the energy that only New Order captures in their songs.

Muy bien, hasta mas tirado a lo analogico por momentos Nota: 3.8

Did not recognize a single song on here even though I've heard New Order before. Pretty good

Gameboy music with vocals as lively as a stone.

New Order make electronic post-punk with a vocalist who delivers every line like he'd rather be somewhere else. That can work. Here it just sounds thin — shallow beats, flat delivery, nothing that sticks. 1/5 — Pet Shop Boys bad, Bowie bad, now this. The 80s are not my decade.

This always was at its best when they switched to instrumental parts. Not because the singing was bad, but because then interesting things started to happen, whereas the verses and choruses were a snoozefest. That's why I enjoyed the second half of "Sunrise" and the subsequent "Elegia" most. I don't think I'll revisit the rest of it. 2/5 - below average

boring 2/5

Actually really enjoyed most of it. A couple of songs sounded like horrible karaoke, but most were pretty good

Interesting album. I didn't go as much for the vocals as I did the quintessential 80s drum machines, synths, and thumping bass, which were all excellent. Standouts were the opener "Love Vigilantes" and "Elegia," sounding like an 80s horror movie nightmare sequence I probably wouldn't listen to this much again, but I wouldn't complain if it was on. Not bad! 3/5

was not a fan at the start. 'Eligia' is my favorite of the album. Definitely something I'll be studying to. meh. 2,5

5/10

On this exceptional album, New Order solidified their synth-driven new wave sound, still powered by barren existentialism and relationships falling apart, echoes of their time as Joy Division.

A bit inconsistent not my vibe. 8.6/10

Has some of my favourite songs of all time with some of Bernard's corniest lyrics. Solid 8

didn't have a favorite song. kinda boring.

The first half was fine but the second half was really hard to get through

Awful.

Good album! Not a big fan of this genre but i know why its very enjoyed around the population! Very vibey and very dancey! Huge respect to the goths out there!

This hasn't been one of my go-to New Order albums (maybe because the cover photos are so lame and put me off) but perhaps that can change? I enjoyed this a lot. The A-side, at least, I thought was golden. Love Vigilantes, The Perfect Kiss and This Time of Night are wonderful, and Sunrise is thunderingly good. I was less enamoured with the B-side, though it's still a solid listen. It's such a testament to the strength of New Order's songs that they're largely unimpeded by Bernard Sumner's almost total lack of vocal ability. He starts the album sounding bad and ends it sounding actually in need of medical help. The guy might be worse than Anthony Kiedis in the "couldn't sing his way out of a paper bag but it didn't stop him" rankings, but at least Sumner's got other musical talents and isn't a complete dog. A good album!

A whiny, weak and wimpy voice lets this down. I really wanted to rate this higher but however many times I listened just couldn't get past that voice. On some tracks, like the latter half of 'Sunrise' especially, the vocals were so indistinct that I could only just about hear his voice let alone discern the lyrics. Bad production? Others were often off-key and 'Face Up' was positively painful to hear. Give me a good vocalist and these songs would have been so much better as the backing tracks were all pretty good. Someone like Neil Tennant would do these justice. This doesn't sound like the same man who sang on the 'Blue Monday' classic. He actually appears to sing in tune on that one! I also had high hopes for the only instrumental -' Elegia' - but it started off as if it was going to build into something good but then just fizzled out. The whole album could have been great but ended up sounding like a weak cover version of the real thing and a frustrating listening experience in all.

Forgot to write review as I listened! This album was good - dirty, grimy synth pop. Elegia was a very lovely highlight for me. Just not sure I would listen again.

The 4th best of the 5 New Order records that count (and none of the top 3 are on this list wtf), but I still absolutely love it. When I was a kid I had a Yamaha keyboard that had the exact same frog sample they use in the weirdo breakdown of Perfect Kiss and I still think about how happy that made me whenever I hear this. Other than ‘Face Up’ it’s all good.

3/5 - I may not be a fan of this type of genre. This album was hovering around 2/5 until Elegia which I've heard and loved before as it reminds me of Chrono Trigger's soundtrack. Overall this is an OK album that I understand why people like but it just sits kind of average to me.

There are some cool new wave moments, but this guy just can’t sing.

Yeah it’s good, a lot of fun, maybe a bit samey at times and feels like a lot of songs where new order are trying to bottle magic but keep leaving the lid off. Best song: Sooner Than You Think 3.8/5.0

It is OK, it's maybe their 4th best album. It starts strong with Love Vigilantes, but then it becomes pretty boring pretty quickly

Really good. I'll be listening to it again. Love new order.

Maybe their best— right up there with “Power, Corruption, and Lies” and the “Substance” collection.

It was better than I thought it was going to be but it was still that 80s sound I don't like - casio keyboard presets and a singer who can't sing

The funny thing is that I often think I'm listening to The Cure. Great music.

Haven’t been intimate with this one for ages, although I did buy the LP the day it was released, back in 1985. I loved New Order, because I loved Joy Division. Low Life continued in the dancefloor direction that would eventually push me away from the band, but in 1985 there were still a few hints of the goth past. Today I remember fondly my New Order/ JD fandom, but with Unknown Pleasures and Closer a click away it is hard to see putting this record on over those 2 at any time. For the dance floor it's straight to the 12” collections.

Me gusto, siento que vario un poco entre disco y y otras cosas, tenia buenos temas de la nada, y el resto normies pero bien.

Love the first song but the rest was the usual synth pop

4.5 - an absolutely glorious New Order album. This is the scientific ideal for synth pop. Catchy, dancy, but still cool and dark around the edges.

The album where New Order found their sound (the single where they found it was, of course, “Blue Monday”). All about groove and layering and texture, wonderful stuff. On the right day, “The Perfect Kiss” is my favorite song from them.

Look. I’m like 900 albums in. I’m tired, boss.

This was a broodier version of The Cure done in the style of bad karaoke.

not good not bad so i would give 2.5/5 if i could.

Alright

Another post-punky album, the guy really has a taste for post-punk. Was really good, though.

Such a distinctive sound, he’s never been the greatest singer but that doesn’t really matter when you have responsibility for continuing the legacy of Joy Division. No huge hits on this one so it was a welcome and refreshing listen.

it's good synth vibes not as gloomy as expected, but also still pretty gloomy 💥this time of night 💥sunrise 💥elegia

Mycket synt, cool 80-tals vibb.

It’s for sure in that British post-punk/new-wave/rock band space as a bunch of other stuff, but it works for me more than some of the others around the same time because I think there’s something to Bernard Sumner’s vocals that really hits in step with the music to my ear (which gets past my eternal issue with The Cure for example) and the instrumental sound also twigging me round to the synthy delights of Pet Shop Boys helps alongside. There’s almost the hints of that Madchester dance scene coming through especially by the last track, but it gets offset by traditional instruments and also just making vibe tracks elsewhere and it’s an interesting mix - feels ahead of the curve for ‘85 and also a great slide of its time and also like it hasn’t missed a day and you could still get stuff that sounded like this and it’d work.

This is what I wished all discos sound like. It's softer round the edges and lacks some of the hooks of Joy Division but has its own identity. It's gloomy, moody but with an odd skip in it's step - a bit like The Cure. Whilst it didn't really have any stand-out songs the album as a whole works really well. Except 'Sub-culture' which sounds clumsy and amateur.

I know famously people do not like his voice but I really didn’t mind it! I feel like I enjoyed a lot of the songs and the song writing.

8/10 Oh, I do like me a bit of New Order. The key element is the organic bass guitar (and occasional 6-string too) that offsets the beeps and boops of the electronic section.

Love Vigilantes - 3.5/5 The Perfect Kiss - 3/5 This Time Of Night - 2.5/5 Sunrise - 2.5/5 Elegia - 4/5 Sooner Than You Think - 3/5 Sub-Culture - 3/5 Face Up - 3/5

First and last track real good

3.5 a solid album with no major stand outs for me.

Maybe the most 80s sounding New Order

The music is great, Sumner (the reluctant vocalist)'s voice grates a bit here before he finds his more chilled tone. No real standouts or takeaways on this one other than the instrumental track.

aw

I like a lot of new wave stuff… but not all new wave stuff.

노래가 나쁘지 않았다.

5+

Not bad.

Just alright. No standout songs and not really my jam.

great album by a great band. early 80's electronica defined.

couple funky tunes

leuk

It’s very much not my genre. I liked Love Vigilantes, but from there it’s just too synthy for me and the vocals just don’t do it for me. And I’m normally the first person to defend vocals that most people don’t like. I did quite like the way Elegia built up, but not enough that I’d want to listen to it again. Fav song: Love Vigilantes Least fav: Sub-culture

Vocally underwhelming. Think there's something beautiful about all the remaining members of Joy Division continuing to make music together after Ian Curtis died but choosing not to keep using the Joy Division name. But musically I'm not a big fan. Favourite song: Sooner Than You Think Least: The Perfect Kiss

Markedly better than the last album we had, which I think was a bit later and was much more fancy, this was more dark electronic stuff which is far more up my street. Elegia was the stand out track, really liked face up too. There were a few throwaway tracks in there but still overall a good listen.

Elegia was superb. I didn't quite know what to expect going in - I didn't really like Technique, but I have seen them live a few years back and thought they were decent. Dark, pulsating techno-rock. Much better listen than I thought it might be.

Hmm, I'm not sure how I feel about new order. I do quite like it, there's just that 80s synth sound that I don't get on with as a rule that holds it back for me...... That's probably the reason people like it in fairness. The opening tracks were the best. Still going 3.5, but on the 3 side

Best Track - "The Perfect Kiss"

Had some really strong spots for me then some really meh spots. Overall I liked the sound.

4.5

Pretty good. Upbeat!

A pretty good album, even though Their Substance compilation has kinda ruined it for me since I heard the more refined and remixed versions of some of their songs, which have ended up sounding a lot better than the original versions. Still though, it is nice to hear songs I hadn't heard before. I did kinda need to explore other albums of New Order, and this was a good one, definitely satisfying my love of new wave electronica music.

ITS NEW ORDER TIME! yet this album bought me down. it just sounds so… generic instead of sounding very “new order”. i’m sorry peter and bernard, but today is not the day that you’re receiving a score above 4. 3.5/5

Generally like New Order but the vocals on this album are almost hair-raisingly bad.

Certified dad approved banger

Not my favorite New Order album (JUSTICE FOR "Power, Corruption & Lies"!!!) But the way they managed to write catchy synthpop/alternative dance songs while still maintaining some post punk element is impressive.

As someone who's not particularly into synthpop, this blew me away. The synths on this album have such a uniquely gloomy character, and I loved how that contrasted with the upbeat compositions. Almost all of the tracks have this propulsive momentum that's absolutely infectious, with the exception of the beautifully haunting Elegia, which acted as a great intermission from the high energy of the rest of the album. I also liked the slightly roughshod nature of the production, it was a welcome departure from the more polished synthpop that I typically don't enjoy as much. For something so distinctly 80s, it still feels so fresh and exciting. Great stuff.

Not too bad of an album, actually pretty alright. It sounds like something that they would play on the classic rock radio. Overall, it was fine leaving it in the background while I was doing other things.

If every song on this album was as good as the songs that bookend it, I would give it a five. But since they're not...3.76

Despite a couple of clunkers, overall this is an enjoyable listen of a band w its own sense of style and beats. But it doesn’t transcend beyond enjoyable…

So... I felt like giving this a 1/5 would be too mean. But NOTHING about this intrigued me, I'm sorry! It made me question if I even enjoyed synthpop or new wave or whatever this is called. It made me go back to the Heaven 17 album I gave a 5/5 just to make sure I still love it that much, and sure, maybe that album just hit me at the right time, but I still really like it. I did not get a single thing out of this. But to be honest, I kinda feel the same way about Joy Division, so...look out for when that comes into my rotation.

I only knew the big New Order hit before this, so this was a pleasant surprise

Alright

Very solid album

Great grooves and riffs, but some of these songs are just too long I'm sorry. Favourites: Love Vigilantes, Sunrise, Elegia

Like many American teens my experience of New Order is mostly filtered through the Substance collection first, then other records second. Having memorized all the bits and bytes of the former always means an encounter with the latter when they're releases that have had some selection of their contents incorporated into Substance means there will be moments of intense recognition and in some cases also moments of extreme alienation where the music is vaguely familiar yet also somehow out of focus. It makes it difficult to listen to something like Low-Life without feeling an unevenness that might otherwise not be there. On the one hand the record comes with a couple of pre-loved tracks of which I'm extremely familiar and the rest is only distantly known with the vague outlines of a band whose style they've incorporated but in music that does not tickle any memory. A little unsettling and kind of exciting to hear something like Sunrise which I don't recall at all and yet, is utterly enjoyable...whereas the feeling of vague defamiliarization is also present in Sooner Than You Think but I'm less enthused with the results. Or, how the album version of Sub-culture is flattened compared to the enlivened and fuller Substance edit. Overall, Low-Life is not my New Order high-point, but I can hear why it might be for someone who approached the record riding time's arrow forward through to the release rather than looking back at it with glasses made messy by the substance of time passed.

Some really thrilling ideas every now and then but it rarely came together how I wanted it to.

Bastante interesante, con vibra futurista y resaltan bastante los sintetizadores pero ninguna canción me atrapó por completo

Nothing I want to listen to again. Most of it was just on in the background, but the last few songs were really something I didn't like. 2.5 stars rounded down

This was just like a collection of sounds from the 80s. And I LOVE the 80s.

501/1089 - Better than Technique but only because two songs had some parts that kinda sound like the Cure.

van mja teveel new order op rij wordt een mens niet genereus van

This album is peak New Order. I love it so much. This sound is the precursor to such great music, but also it's complete on its own.

Best thing to come out of the '80s, probably. (The band that is.)

Had to listen a second time. Really just one bad song. 3.5

Listened before this

I've always been familiar with New Order and liked what I'd heard, but this was my first time listening to a full album.

I was never a real New Order fan back in the day, but they are an undeniably important band from the 80s and I respect everything they did.

Didn't irritate too much.

<3 Love Vigilantes

Good New Order album not the best but a lot to choose from

This is what my dad's nickname for me was

7/7.5, un album que tranquilamente podría escuchar. Muy tranquilo y con buen ritmo

peak synthesizer

It one of New Orders best. Great record.

it’s ok? why is it on this list?

J’aime beaucoup la première, qui me fait effectivement penser à joy division Et dès la deuxième ça se rapproche plus de ce que je connais déjà de new order (blue monday) : c’est bien même si c’est dans son jus des 80s. Ça reste cool parce que j’aime bien le son de cette époque Elegia : magnifique ! Sooner that you think a un beat accrocher au début Sub culture : très cool, très blue monday L’Album finit avec une chanson également cool En fait l’album en un mot est stylé

Fell off like halfway through then I just got kinda bored

It's got a lot of elements I like, but man, it's still that 80's sound that hits me weird sometimes. Started listening to the album as some background music during while getting ready for the day. Halfway through I put on headphones and i did like it a little more... But not enough to give it more than a three.

Prefer iron and wine's cover of the opening track. Liked this more than I thought I would. To be fair I thought I would hate this.

Ah new order, always a special place in my heart. Perfect Kiss will always be banger, Soon Than You Think really stood out to me on this time

Familiar with New Order due to Orgy’s cover of Blue Monday. This album was alright imo, nothing stood out overall but it was an easy listen while working on a Thursday!

~~synthy explosion~~ I SEE A SHIP IN THE HARBOR

Can Bernard sing? 1/5

Fine enough synthy 80’s dance album that has some decent tracks and doesn’t overstay its welcome. The singing is a bit all over the board. 3/5

The singing on this is just terrible, I can’t get down with it. The music is great, for that new wave sound it’s probably right up there with some of the best, but how did a band with a singer that can’t sing make it this big? It can’t be a purposeful style to sing this badly.

-my first full New Order album. i definitely prefer Joy Division but this is great! for sure a standout among the 80s new wave i’ve heard, which makes since because it is New Order -would love to hear some more variety from them, i’m not sure how similar all their songs are -Favorites: Love Vigilantes, Sub-culture

Yhyy

I'm not crazy about the typical 80s sound with the chorus effect on the guitars, gated snares, synths, etc. Also I don't really like dance music. Other than that, it's not a bad album. The vocals could have been better maybe.

There was one pretty good song (it wasn't the one I recognised either).

New Order is generally pretty awesome, and it was cool to listen this record for the first time in its entirety and chart their movement out of the haze of the Joy Division era and into the moody, techno rock vibe. There is some Tangerine Dream and The Cure type stuff creeping in, but this is a good listen. Maybe more emotional than other NO, with plenty of great synth sounds.

Bernard Sumner’s vocals take some adjustment—he still sounds a bit tentative and strained—but once you settle into it, they suit the music’s emotional tone. And the music itself is the real draw: shimmering synths, tight grooves, and that perfect blend of post-punk moodiness with increasingly bold electronic textures. Tracks like “Love Vigilantes” and “The Perfect Kiss” show off two sides of the band—one more direct and emotional, the other expansive and experimental—and both land brilliantly. It’s not flawless, but it’s a big step forward and surprisingly addictive once it clicks.

This is probably my second favorite New Order album, but it's definitely deserves to be here. Favorite track: Love Vigilantes

This, their third album seems to cement their move from post punk band to then first proper rock and electro crossover. New Order have that quality that all great bands have - they are greater than the sum of their parts. Bernard Sumner audibly struggles with some of the lead vocals and yet he sounds distinctive, Peter Hook is no Jaco Pastorius but creates memorable and simple high range bass melodies, Stephen Morris sounds the most technically proficient member of the band with his high energy quick patterns and Gillian Gilbert doesn't dominate on keyboards. Yet the perfect kiss and sub culture are strong singles, Love Vigilantes sounds like a country song and there's even an instrumental in triple time. It shouldn't work but yet prevails - al the cool kids liked New Order at school, I had to wait til student years.

The back half of this album is much better than the first half. Love me some New Order

New Order at their New-Ordermost, a cohesive album of 8 solid tracks, more straightforward of an album offering than Power, Corruption & Lies even if their tradeoff for this consistency is to not have any songs quite as great as Age of Consent The first half is extra solid, the second half is still at a good level, the instrumental track didn't wow me but other than that it's a fully worthwhile listen

= the Beatles

classic new wave

Classic New Order

Nice

Very strong

yeah ok

Good a little too synthetic and non dimensional for me

This album, along with "Enjoy the Silence" by Depeche Mode, is what synth-pop and post-punk should be. "Low-Life" puts the punk in post-punk, rather than using outdated drums and cheesy vocals, unlike 90% of post-punkers. "Elegia" has the best synth-guitar combo New Order has to offer. I also loved "Sunrise", it's simply amazing. Today, I learned that even the worst music subgenres can have the best albums you've ever heard. 5 stars for "Low-Life".

good stuff

not somwthing i would listen to

Kinda nice...

Sunrise + Elegia was a great sequence. The rest was pretty good.

Is this guy related to the Hapsburgs? Why does he look like that on the cover? Ok, it's such a bummer that this could be AMAZING, but I absolutely despise this guy's vocals. It's taking me out of it completely. I think that's exactly why 'Elegia' is my favorite song on this album: a blissful instrumental and that's it. I honestly have such a hard time rating this. On one hand, I love the music; on the other, I hate the singing. 'This Time of Night' is fire, though. I don't get why he has to do that hUAaaUah every five seconds in each song. It ruins everything for me. I fucking hate myself for giving this a 2, but I just cannot bring myself to rate it any higher THANKS to the vocalist. Like, everything is on point, each instrument? Perfect. He sings fine, then out of nowhere, he just starts doing that stupid, annoying voice that's just slapping me in the face. Just for that, I can't do it any more justice, and it truly pains me. Change the vocalist or just teach him a better technique and this becomes a solid 5.

Ihan jees. 3/5.

Love 80s, and this was enjoyable.

man... i just don't get new wave/ 80s synth. Love Vigilantes is a banger, but only because i know the iron and wine cover. It just sounds like a tin-can speaker on every song... but not in a fun way

Całkiem zacne. Tak z 2 piosenki warte zapamiętania. Na 4