Reviews (page 7 of 10)
Taking the suicidal depressing aspects out of Joy Division kind of takes the joy out of it for me. Not a bad record by any means I just don't like it too much personally. Same guitar tones as Joy Division but sounds more commercial and poppy.
I initially thought the vocals weren't the greatest but I had heard worse. Elegia was quite enjoyable. Then the final track played and I couldn't believe how far the quality of everything just dropped. What a horrible way to end an album
Love Vigilantes,
It's New Order. it gets 5 stars.
I've always felt a little mixed on the synth-y sounds that the group took on in the transition from Joy Division to New Order. Low-Life hits the right balance for me. The textures on this album are clean and creative. I love how the guitars sound when they come in. I especially love the back to back combo of Sunrise to Elegia. Bernard Summers vocals are "bad", but they work in a charming way. Would have been interesting to hear what this group would have sounded like had they not lost Ian Curtis.
While I don't love this genre, I did think there were more hits than misses on this record. This album has the quintessential 80s instrumental as well.
I liked it. I probably need to give it another listen or two, but I could see myself getting into this. Of note, I liked the sound of the opening track and Elegia the best.
All of their songs had a lot of deeper thoughts and feelings, that have a dark edge to them. I really liked Love Vigilantes, on the surface such an 80's rock/pop song but listening to the lyrics it was far deeper. One could argue that their musical genre doesn't lend itself well to all of the deeper meanings, and could make light of some of those topics. Overall I enjoyed this album and would listen again.
I like New Order. Great melodies. I like that the guitar work is simple and not overly complicated. My only criticism is that it's sometimes a bit formulaic because I swear a couple of these songs sound like other New Order songs. I'm about a 3.5 with this but that instrumental (Eligia) pushes this up to a 4 for me.
I like New Order’s vibe. Nothing super duper grabbed me on this particular album, but it was a fun and groovin’ listen.
Really enjoyed this album. Was going to list my favorite songs but I loved all of them right up until the last 3. I didn't DISLIKE those 3, but they were my least favorite of the bunch (Sooner Than you Think, Sub-Culture and Face Up).
Questionable vocals and simple lyrics, often mundane subject matter, great production.
I have never found an appreciation for New Order anywhere near what I have for Joy Division, but this album really surprised me. Think I need to give it a few more listens.
not my favourite new order album
***An ok album
# 309 : Fairly generic 80s synth music for the most part, great in places and might even listen to it again.
Not their finest, but there is some excellent music here.
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.
Those vocals are not good at all. The instrumental is not bad but not incredible either. Didn't like it that much.
I'd consider this pretty generic 80s "dark disco," though with how influential this album was, perhaps quintessential is a more appropriate word. There are some unique moments, like the outro in The Perfect Kiss. Vocals aren't great and lyrics are often difficult to discern. Listened to: at 5MW. Favorite tracks: This Time of Night
This was just alright. I wasn't a fan of the vocalist but everything else was nice.
Expected Blue Monday, got Black Friday
New order is one of the best group of all time but they have albums better. That’s only 4
Quintessential 80s sound. Not as terrible as I thought, but still not my thing.
SO GOOD
3.5
Is the '80s a huge try-not-to-use-synths-challenge- impossible era in pop music??
Yet another melancholic post-punk album with whiny British boys. This one was more up beat than the others so I'll give it half a star for that. Just boring and formulaic justi like the others of this genre. 2.5.
Perfect mix between synths and guitars in the evolution of New Order. You can hear where so many later bands were inspired by New Order’s use of synthesizers and drum machines in dance music, and putting the vocals low in the mix. I like it, but can’t help comparing it to later New Order that is more well known, and I think, better. 3-ish⭐️ (4 for the pioneering instrumental parts, and 2 for the vocals and lyrics)
One of my favourite New Order albums. The opening three tracks are sublime. If ever there was a band where the sum is greater than the parts, then it's New Order.
Meh. The only song that stood out for me, Elegia, is coincidentally also the only song without vocals and the basic 80s synth pop beat.
That's not my taste in musik. Boring.
Not the first album that comes to mind when I think of New Order, but a fun one nonetheless. There's no real stand out track here, like a Blue Monday or Temptation, but it's all good quality and it's definitely worth another listen.
I think that I've played the record about 5 times in the last 2 days, and that is normally the sign of a 5***** album, but that's not how it ends. Call me crazy, but several times I was expecting The Cure to start belting out the tunes... so, nice album, but 4****
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
3/5
Yuck.
Most of this is pretty good. My god "Sub-Culture" is awful tho.
It's ok, some of it sounds a little jarring. High 2.
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?
Makes me wanna move. Voice occasionally whiney? But a great sound overall. Energetic sadboiz? I like it. Opener is a banger. Wow, I love elegia. He really can't sing sometimes, but it works so well as a whole. yeah, this is a 3.7
Started the album and it felt like expected. While never being mainstream in North America it is taking me back to middle school and the fav band of the cool kids with painted fingernails whose older siblings in Uni got them cassettes scared from nicotine fingers. Simple songs, sometimes simpler lyrics. Doesn’t inspire much. But then again… like a late night box of chicken nuggets, maybe the simplest is the best. Who came first New Order or The Cure? Moody, Haunting, Progressing Melodies, and dare I say Gripping? I’d always left New Order to the eye-rolling club but while lacking any real complexity these are catchy tunes. I cannot deny it any longer. It’s a 3.75 but I’ll round up...
I'll say this: I've disliked other 80's music more. 2.2
It is like a visit from an old friend.
Elegia is really good! The rest is standard New Order though, jingle bass and off key singing.
OK its a great album. The elegia son I hate cause it interrupts the flow of the album. Thats a producer error. I would have done a intrumental side and a vocals side as its a dance album it would have worked. Best 3/4 are intstumental songs which Im not really into for listening at home but work as a dance club music it kills. Too many bands were playing too much alike when this movement exploded in the scene and they all sound similar. Cure and New Order were the best for sure commercially and as musicians as well.
Meh
Very British, which is par for the course on this list, but this is the good kind of very British (3.5/5)
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
Love me the new order. 8/10
Pretty good but sounded SO MUCH like the Cure to me in spots..
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
Good interesting sound. Enjoyable.
This is another one where my expectations were low and then absolutely obliterated. This album slaps. I'd never listened to New Order but was dimly aware of them as "what was left of Joy Division" and thus overlooked them. What a mistake, and a disrespectful one too. These songs are well-crafted and catchy, and the production is way more dynamic than many of this album's peers. Highlights: Love Vigilantes, The Perfect Kiss, Sub-culture, Face Up
I love New Order. I am especially fascinated by the story of how Joy Division became New Order. It’s such a strange transition. Still, both bands are great. This album shows off the band’s talent and distinct sound. Loved it.
Kind of dated, but an enjoyable listen
Not too bad, but kind of blended together too much
I did enjoy this album. This time of night and sunrise the most but the end destroyed it a bit for me. These Vocal performances was not good in some songs or moments... Still glad to have it heard at least once
Way better than I expected it to be. Great blend of both the new wave and alt rock of the 1980's. Not that much of a fan of the vocal performances though.
This was a good album but nothing memorable hence the 4
Didn’t hold my attention at all.
It was ok. Don’t really care for synth pop or whatever this is. Apparently the author does however. 2.5
This actually reminded me a lot of The Cure (mainly Disintegration) in some parts. Obviously not all of it but I'd say a few of the earlier tracks definitely had a similar sound. But yeah this album is pretty dam solid. Fav songs: - Love Vigilantes - Sunrise - Elegia
No. 1
New Order in metamorphosis from post-punk to synthy dance rock. Catchy and atmospheric. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Love Vigilantes Date listened: 05/07/24
Album 460 of 1001 New Order - Low-Life Rating : 3.5 / 5 Good album. Won't go on my favorites list but it is a fine album.
Unexpectedly awesome
Like most New Order albums there are a couple of epic 5 star tracks, and the rest not so much. But this one holds up bit better than most. Was going to go 3 but deserves a 4.
maybe the weakest of the new order albums but they're a great band so it's still good. I just always think of this band as more of a singles band anyway. Has their signature blend of post punk rhythms with synth pop/jangle pop instrumentation.
Nostalgie but today it is not the best .
Surprisingly good, like in the '80s the past few days. Elegia was it in stranger things?
They've got a sound and they execute it competently. A week out nothing really sticks. Love vigilantes, and all the little guitar riffs are nice.
Completely caught off guard by the sound of the opener. Was expecting something a bit more snyth poppy, but this is more straight forward pop-rock with 80s post-punk undertones. The Perfect Kiss is a bit closer to the sound I was expecting, but far from Blue Monday. I really enjoyed this song. Elegia makes good use of the spooky post-punk sound, and also sounds super familiar. I'm sure I've heard it in backing of a show or movie at some point. I feel like I've heard similar interpretations of this sound more recently in some of The XX's work. This was a really solid album, and not at all what I expected of New Order based on what I had heard so far. Nothing too flashy, but I vibed with it all the way through. 4 / 5
A better Depeche Mode.
This album balanced on a very fine line of cool dance-pop and super cheese. It mostly was on the side of cool dance-pop for the most part. There were some awesome synth parts mixed with a right amount of guitar especially in the middle part of the album, which I felt was the strongest. The ending turned a little too poppy for me but it was not enough to take away the fun nature of this album with some really interesting sampling/synth. Good enough for a low 4 Just looked back and saw we had another New Order album which i gave a 5 and remembering now, these 2 albums sounded like completely different artists.
I was a little disappointed with the last New Order album. That being said, a few songs into this one I am jamming. Really like This Time of Night. Elegia sounds like it should've been in Interstellar. Really fucking with it. The music on this is pretty fantastic. Like a more upbeat Depeche Mode. Can't stand the singer sometimes but it it mostly works.
And onwards in my adult's discovery of music teenage me would have called atrocious. This is nice! Not without cringe, but that's part of a deal I will accept. Croaking frogs, clap clap, synth toms, the guitar sound from another band I've come to love? Yeah. Why not? This works here, I'm having fun! ... until after Elegia, that is. Where the lesser songs are and the album leans into a reminder why teenage me didn't like music like this. Still. Glad I listened to this today.
Hmm, good bit could need a hook, something exciting or something which makes me want to listen again.
The epitome sound of 80s British pop.
Not what I expected at all! To me this album has very much a pet shop boys vibe, whereas I thought New order were much gritter. That said it still wasn't to my taste. Can only award it a 2 I'm afraid.
I love the New Order sound, especially the iconic bass lines but as always, Bernard’s vocals are as sketchy as. It doesn’t seem to matter on a lot of tracks but some are just far too much for him. Sunrise is the standout banger.
My third favourite New Order album. Its still a blinder. Peter Hook's basslines are the driving force throughout the songs. The Perfect Kiss and Elegia are the standouts. I much prefer the remixed single of Sub-Culture as the original does highlight Bernard/Barney's weak vocal abilities.
I was hoping to get more out of this. I do appreciate the skill and vibe they bring. I listened twice but couldn't think of a lot to comment on. Strange to read the above and still like it enough for a three.
Not usually my genre of music but I'm not minding this. This track Elegia is catching me. Closing track Face up is pretty good too. I think the vocals tho enjoyable could be a bit stronger.
I really enjoyed this one, much more than I expected. It has that hollow 80's tone that I enjoy, it was well produced, and kept you engage. Had a couple standouts Elegia and Love Vigilantes. The vocals on a few tracks could be better, but overall this album was well put together from start to finish. 4.5/5
Fine to good. Although pretty simple, I liked Love Vigilantes, and Elegia is wonderful wordless piece which I will always associate with the short film MORE by Mark Osborne.
I wish they stayed in this darker lane
Guitars and synthesizers are a match made in heaven. The fact that New Order existed as a rock band for so long before becoming an electronic band really gives their sound a feeling that few other synthesizer groups have. This album gets pitched as their full transition into the electronic side, but the song Sunrise is still firmly a rock song, and I felt like a lot of the later half of the album was like that. Really well done with great production. It sounds like the year in which it was made, but that is one of those albums that helps explain why this era sounded like this 4/5
Favorite Track: The Perfect Kiss
Beautiful melodies and a great flow of music with a rousing rhythm.
Definitely heard of these guys. I know one song, Blue Monday. Don't know much else. So interested to hear this. Too 80's poppy for me. 3 tracks in not sure if I really dig this too much
This didn’t do much for me.
Not a fan of synthesized music but I see the seeds of today’s techno in this album.
Eeh.
Very good.
Meh 3/5
Surprisingly good. The last song was absolutely horrendous.
The music is cool but the singing is so bad it's hilarious
So surprised by this one. Way better than the usual post punk synthy 80s fare. Lyrics are kinda weak tho
second half of the album was 4 stars but first half was 3 so i’ll stick with 3. liked when they leaned into the electronic stuff more
As a Joy Division fan, I want to like New Order, but just can't. Too much New-Wave Electro-Pop nonsense. There are a few songs I kinda liked though, which has Cure-esque vibes.
Some classics
Very 80’s. Kind of a European vibe. Not bad
it was ok. A couple songs I really enjoyed, and a couple sound kind of 80s pop. You could feel the there's something different in here, though, from normal 80s pop, and it's this new wave, electro-pop stuff that gave us Nine Inch Nails, so that's worth something. 3 stars.
It's not great honestly.
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
The vocals are absolutely horrid. Everything else is solid.
And that's a no from me
Not too bad 80s sound.
Из-за наличия Elegia хочется поставить 5 баллов. В целом альбом звучит в духе новой волны, прям квинтэссенция жанра.
A all rounder record. Doesn't ever exceed but certainly never falters.
Pretty solid album. 3.5. I think I like New Order remix/extended mixes more though.
Didn't make much of an impression. I've always been more of a JD guy .
It sounded like the singer was unsure about whether or not to bother - very weak voice on these tracks. I like the instrumentation on some of these songs, in a fade-into-the-background kind of way. I will never seek out this album again.
Some of this was really good, especially Sunrise and Elegia. The rest was a mixed bag, the low points felt like generic 80s synth pop, like The Pet Shop Boys or Erasure. Some of it sounded like it was about to launch into Blue Monday, but didn't quite get there. I liked the vocals, even though I could hear that they weren't actually well done, they fitted the music well in my opinion. The guitar/ synth tracks were the highlight for me. I thought this was a 2 or 3 when I was near the start, but then it picked up to a 4 or 5 midway. It ended as a pretty average 4 star album, one I enjoyed listening to, and would listen to some of again, but never the whole album again.
Great instrumentation, but the singing was noticeably off.
Waiting for the high life after that
So emo
Did not do it for me.
I enjoyed this album, but I was honestly hoping to enjoy it more than I actually did. I enjoyed Technique by New Order, and Joy Division have plenty of excellent tracks (it’s hard not to compare them when they’re almost the same band). Low-Life was still a good listen, but it felt weaker than anything else I’ve heard so far by them. I can’t really pinpoint why this is either, I just didn’t feel as drawn in as usual.
Probably one of the best albums I've heard from this genre. I really enjoyed the instumentals, and the lyrics felt more purposeful than other New wave albums I've listened to.
A couple songs were pretty good, but mostly this was just okay. Not really anything special
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?
im a casual new order enjoyer, seeing them last fall was fun, but ive never listened to this album in full. it started slow (except for perfect first kiss) and i was not that into it but after elegia it picked up. doubt i'll revisit the full album.
6/10
could i write poetry to this? y
This one had a few good spots, but New Order will never sound as good to me as Joy Division. It's not even New Order's best album.
Why is every song so long
Some good songs, but a little bit too long. Some of the vocals sound weak and possibly flat.
I understand the influence of new order on music and the many bands that count them as an influence but I am not a fan.
Did not dislike as much as I thought I would, but it's very close to one star.
01) Love Vigilantes - 8,0 02) The Perfect Kiss - 8,5 03) This Time of Night - 8,0 04) Sunrise - 7,5 05) Elegia - 9,5 06) Sooner Than You Think - 8,5 07) Sub-culture - 8,5 08) Face Up - 8,0 TOTAL: 8,31 (83/100) Current ranking: 54/180 Perfect melancholic eighties synth pop. I would recognize New Order even if I didn't know who it was. Eight songs that perfectly describe the time they come from. "Elegia" is a masterpiece, a perfect tribute to Ian Curtis.
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.
Love Vigilantes.
Good cuts on here but overall, not generally as engaging.
De broertjes van de Pet shop boys hebben ook een plaat gemaakt. De mummelzang is nauwelijks hoorbaar boven de maar doorbliepende keyboards, die klinken alsof ze een of ander computerspel van Nintendo begeleiden. Het is dat Frans Bauer erger is.
Lang geleden hoorde ik bij een studiegenoot een nummer van New Order. Geen idee welk nummer, want dat stond niet in de mp3-titel. Hij vond het nummer geweldig. Een cd van deze band was dus het ideale cadeau voor zijn verjaardag. Maar welk nummer was het nou? Want ik moest wel het goede schijfje hebben. Eén voor één downloaden maar om daarachter te komen. Nou dan leer je deze band wel kennen hoor. Het is een band die zich echt ontwikkelde in de tijd. Wellicht gewoon goed met de tijd meegroeide. Uiteindelijk vond ik het. Het was Crystal uit 2001. Het nummer was een fusion tussen de klassieke Britpop-rock en de muziek uit die tijd. Inderdaad een goed nummer. Maar tijdens mijn reis stuitte ik ook op verschrikkelijke nummers. In het begin van de jaren '80 gingen ze namelijk ook met hun tijd mee. En mengden hun Britpop-rock met de muziek van die tijd. Dat hoef je in de zeroes echt niet meer te horen. En nu al helemaal niet!
We zijn weer terug in de foute jaren '80. Synths en drumcomputers. Ondanks de zijige zang maakt New Order er wel aardig dansbare 80s muziek van, het is lekker up tempo met prima beats. Maar het houdt ook de connectie met de punky new wave of synth pop van the Cure. Er zitten dwingende pulserende baslijnen in en zoals gezegd zijn de beats uitstekend verzorgd. Af en toe komt er nog een gitaartje om de hoek kijken ook. De zang is uiteraard tenenkrommend, maar ergens past het ook wel weer in de tijd en bij zeurderige Britse post-punk-achtige muziek. Ik moet er wel een beetje voor in de stemming zijn, maar dat lukte vandaag goed. Het deed me heel erg denken aan Disintegration van the Cure (ook al is dat van latere makelij) en die sfeer vind ik echt heel vet. Misschien dat ik dit album nog een (paar) keer ga opzetten om het definitieve oordeel te vellen. Voorlopig valt het positief uit. Maandagochtend nog een keer geluisterd en ik vind eigenlijk hetzelfde. Keurige 4 sterren.
Not bad. Reminds be of a combination of early Cure and INXS.
The Perfect Kiss really epitomizes 80s New Wave. Love it! I also really enjoyed This Time of Night. I really enjoyed the music to Sunrise but disliked the lyrics. They just didn’t meld well. Subculture is even worse. Terrible sound to the lyrics. Elegia may be my favorite track. No lyrics just beautiful music. This is a pretty uneven album. Some great tracks mixed with ok and some with terrible singing. It’s a 3 for me.
What the hell is this? Is it new wave, synth rock, or even just straight-up dance? Or is it post-punk, maybe even dance-punk? Are New Order savants, or can they not play in sync, either with themselves or a metronome? I can’t tell if this is avant-garde pop genius, or a sloppy mess of punks going pop, and it just so happens that they’re early enough to the party that not having a handle on how to play with new technology earns them respect instead of ridicule. But then they take a perfect song like “The Perfect Kiss,” which, despite their sloppy playing, is still a well-written song, and add in stock sound footage of frogs and other bullshit. Or they meander with songs like “Sunrise” or “Elegia” and just rip off their post-punk contemporaries [including their former selves] with less finesse. The closest they get to winning me over is “Sooner Than You Think,” but there’s just soooo many overdubbed guitars that don’t gel together well, it just pulls me out. And then there’s songs like “Face Up” that feel completely out of place on this record, way too uptempo and new wave oriented to even sound like the same band. I think if it was even slightly tighter, I’d be okay with it, though not fully in love. Yet if it was any looser, I’d be a lot more upset that I had to listen to this. The fact that it’s only 8 songs makes me feel a lot more apologetic, honestly. As it stands, it’s just too messy and undefined to convince me of its supposed unique genius. Maybe next time New Order will stick to a singular vision and actually care about playing well together.
There are still traces of Joy Division post punk new wave stuff but blended with the dance sound they’d be more well known for.
Mostly forgettable. A couple of songs that were enjoyable but then off setted by some more annoying songs.
This is better than technique
3/5. I do like the instrumentation but the vocals do get tiresome and whiny at some points. That can be a vibe for sure but it doesn't feel like it fits this style of music. Like there is an epic backdrop with some of the instrumentals and then there is just a dude who is talking over it. I admit, I did enjoy some songs but it was mostly because of the music. Another instance of game-changing but not necessarily in the right direction. Best Song: Love Vigilantes, Sunrise, Elegia
I have only listened to one other song by New Order so I was excited to listen to more of their work. I really liked this album as all the songs were enjoyable and danceable but my favorite was Sunrise. I will definitely listen again!
I kind of like The Perfect Kiss (the instrumental parts)
A chips of decent songs surrounded by boring '80s electronica.
Karen sang every one of these songs as I was playing it. She said you’d find her on the dance floor with this album. The last song being her favorite.
Enjoyable if unremarkable.
Ok but nothing memorable.
Never been a big New Order fan. That was pretty tough getting through. There are worse though, so going with 2 stars.
Only enjoyable song was the instrumental. Perhaps if the vocal tracks were from the entire album, then it might be decent.
I love Live Vigilantes, I just wish the rest of the album was that good. I tend to like my new wave fun and energetic, more Duran Duran, I have a lot of trouble taking the dour desperate lyrics seriously when a goofy synthesizer making it sound like Miami Vice. This is definitely a flaw of growing up when the 80s were glorified and parodied to death. Nothing here is bad but nothing captures me beyond the first track. Theres a couple of bright spots, I like when a bunch of frogs start croaking, that’s fun. But honestly it’s a forgettable ride 3/5
Expected some boring rock but it ended up being an amazing fusion of post-punk and electro pop. Only downsize is the really bad singing
some songs are hype
Bastante sólido y divertido
Even though it sounds very stereotypically 80s, it still felt fresh and unique to me for some reason. The whole thing feels like it’d be played over a breakfast club esque montage and there’s plenty of synths to go around but there’s something about it that’s setting it apart in my mind from all of the other 80s new wave type albums I’ve heard on this list. The first two tracks and the last one were the standouts.
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.
Never let us down yet
the beats, the grooves, the lyrics everything is just a perfection here. At times its feels like you're dancing at the apocalypse, others in the throws of love or defeat. I especially love the tones captured. The vocals can be jarring but I think it adds the emotive expression of the song. Couldnt be happier to add this to the rotation
Bloody good, innit?
love New Order, they're usually in my rotation. The Perfect Kiss is the best song on this album.
Ehhhhh
Try not to compare albums when reviewing bc i think each album should live in its own space but because we had The Cure yesterday i think it is at least somewhat relevant. I enjoyed this album more than Pornography mostly due to this being a much faster and dancier album. The Perfect Kiss and Sooner Than You Think are highlights for me
This album didn’t age well. It’s sounds like old school video game soundtrack in some parts, but I can still hear so much of its influence on modern music. Thats says something.
Really good dancey post-punk/synth-rock. The beats are great for dancing and grooving, the hooks are strong and the vibe is gloomy and goth. Good stuff!
I really, really love their album "Brotherhood", "Bizarre Love Triangle" is one of my favorite songs of all time, but somehow I never listened to more of their stuff. This kind of instantly grabs me. The melody of the first track oddly enough sounds like a melody I would write (just similar intervals, not trying to toot my own horn or anything), so it's easy for me to like. I really enjoy the overall sound. Clean yet crunchy guitars, super solid 80's drum beats, and interesting compositions that maintain a catchy and listenable sound. For lack of a better term, there's a couple of duds on this album that keep it from being rated higher. A few songs just have mismatched energies; like track 3, there are synths and drums that are all over the place, but the vocals are pretty monotone and feel very separate from the rest of the music. I love this album cover. It's very much like "teenage musician who just downloaded adobe photoshop for the first time and is making an album cover"-core, but of course this predates that sort of style.
This was pretty bad. Had a lot of synths and was generally boring.
This album is very much top heavy, as, by the time you get to the last song, the writing begins to get more monotonous and the vocal presence becomes fairly uninteresting
Torn. Realistically, the twangy guitar and vocals make NO songs instantly recognizable. However, the songs on this album don’t simply blend into one another despite these similarities. I didn’t live it, I didn’t hate it. I’ve added a revisit to my calendar.
Elegia was amazing, and I liked a few of the other songs, too. But on many of them, I was left unconvinced that the lead singer could actually sing.
Normally I like New Order - and maybe it was the wrong day for it- but I found it absolutely boring.
Man, what a party. Definitely a pick me up after trying to listen to Dr. John.
It’s the blueprint for a generation of Pop-Dance-Electronica-Alternative hybrids.
Dance city vibes, great fun, super swell vibes. Good for riding too
As much as I like a lot of New Orders music, I just found this album very tame, boring and uninteresting.
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.
It's a great balance between rock and synth/electronic. Though at times its about 20% too much 80's synth, it doesn't seem to stick there too long to feel really dated. The guitar work in Sunrise really drives it forward and songs like Love Vigilantes and The Perfect Kiss are really memorable. Enjoyed!
Dated sounded 80s music just doesn’t do anything for me.
It was good, very new order-y and pleasant.
I have a strong sentimental attachment to this album and so can't be objective. I owned this cassette the year I got my driver's license. Back then cassettes were EXPENSIVE. So when you had one you listened to it; a lot. After 30 years I can sing most of these songs in my sleep. It sounds great to me after all of these years. But there's no way that this opinion is unsentimental. It's interesting to think of the band at this moment. With the incredible chaos of the Joy Division years fading into memory and set to take over the world with their next album.
Not their best work as they veer more towards the synthesizer sounds of the mid to late 80s, only "The Perfect Kiss" stands out...
Passabler Dance-Pop. Kurzweilig.
New Order are more of a singles band for me. And it is hard to get away from Bernard’s rooey vocals. Elegia is a banger though. pretty in Pink is one of my guilty pleasures
How 1980s! I recall some of these songs. I didn't appreciate them at the time, but 2 songs in, I like them a lot. There was something about the new wave rock songs that had a deep streak of romanticism. The singing is so typical of the time, the overall sound with each of the components somewhat separated, and all minor chords. Pretty nice! I listened to the whole thing.
I know production values have improved over the years, but on relisten Sub-Culture feels a lot more karaoke than I thought at the time!
British synth rock/post punk. Really good stuff! Not my favorite from the band so far, but their albums often takes me some rounds to really enjoy.
I think early New Order has one of the coolest guitar sounds ever. It gets increasingly buried under louder synths and drums, so this album is as far as I got in their discography. I don't like it as much as the first two. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)
New Order is so cool. I’m less familiar with the songs on this one, but they were all cool New Order songs, and so, I liked it.
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.
I've never heard of this band/album before, but I liked the songs. Very much an '80s feel. Each track tended to linger, with the shortest one being about four and a half minutes. There were multiple times, most notably on the final song, when the vocals felt like they could have been cleaned up a bit.
Depeche mode from wish
Solid 3.
Better than I expected, but Joy Division is still better. RIP Ian Curtis.
Shades of cure
I enjoyed this one! No complaints!
This one was cool, I would listen to it again but it wasn’t my favorite
The Perfect Kiss is the standout track, I like the rest but I don't love it like previous New Order records
i liked it, but nothing extraordinary
Really like the genre but some of those lyrics seem rather stalkerish
Very Cure-ish. An enjoyable experience. Both surprised that we didn’t know this band better back in the 80s. No real standout songs and didn’t recognize any of them. (2.2*s)
Well done, but boring, repetitive. Not something I would turn off, but also something I would not endeavor to listen to again.
God I love New Order. 10/10
It's electronic music but with emotionless singing, which is why the instrumental songs sound best.
If more music from the 80s was as cool as this the world would be a better place.
I liked this, but not enough to go back to it instead of the amazing Power Corruption and Lies. The instrumentals were all great. Favorite songs were Love Vigilantes, This Time of Night, and Elegia
Following the success of 'Blue Monday' in 1983, New Order released a string of fantastic non album singles, the best being 'Confusion' and 'Thieves like Us', which both still sound exciting and relevant. Sadly, however, not so this album. Unlike its outstanding predecessor, 'Power, Corruption and Lies', which boasted a variety of styles, tempos and instrumentation, 'Lowlife' is largely one dimensional, with the majority of tracks sharing that insidious 'claptrap' keyboard setting, which now sounds so dated. The one track which doesn't, and therefore slightly redeems the album, is 'Sunrise' which is surprisingly heavy and all the better for it. All in all, I think this album is the epitome of a water treading exercise.
Excellent. I love New Order, but I wasn't too familiar with this particular album. Parts of it stray into The Cure territory, which is never a bad thing.
Vibrante, en mi opinión es muy 90's para ser de los 80. Me encanta el disco.
3.3
Am quite liking this. Pretty sure Elegia is in Stranger things soundtrack.
Fun to hear some lesser known tracks
I've been a fan of New Order long before this album so I was excited to see it on here. This isn't my fave by them but it does showcase their mix of styles. Sooner Than You Think is a really good song. This album feels dark and moody but is also somehow upbeat, so that's New Order for ya.
Some standard 80s synth pop. Need to listen to their earlier punk rock stuff to understand the significance of this album shift. Dig the keyboard frogs 🐸.
I dig the synth pop 80s sound. Couple of good songs. I've been tangentially a fan of Joy Division and New Order for years. This might give me more of a reason to check out more of their work. 2.8 stars
I wasn't blown away
It's fine. Sounds like every other New Wave album.
I never gave stuff like this a chance in high school. Wish I had.
A bouncy little excursion back to the ‘80s. We listened during a power outage, so it was our only music of the day.
EXCELLENT. Sunrise song is A+.
some songs sounded kind of like depeche mode. other songs sounded like the cure. the music was similar to these bands without coming across as mere imitation. but this is just referring to the music. the vocals… well, the vocalist just doesn’t have a very strong voice and seems to be out of tune a lot. one standout track to me was “elegia”, which sounded like it would belong in an 80’s era horror movie soundtrack. other than that, the rest of the album was pretty unremarkable to me.
Good stuff but not sure why it’s here. Doesn’t stand out from their other work, though
I really like it. Very 80s. 4/5
Great mid 80s album!
i love new order yay
That guitar sound is sooo from this Era. Was an interesting listen. One song was like a movie soundtrack.
I'm bored
Straight up nostalgia.
Okay, this has renewed my faith that all "pop" from the 80s wasn't trash. I still enjoyed this.
Very good!
So 80s pop
Not my thing. To electronic.
I didn't love every second of this, but I found it to be overall enjoyable and I think more listens would improve the experience. Sunrise was the best track for me, with that cool 'clashing' effect between the guitar part and the synth part.
Excellent musical composition, horrible vocals.
Not for me. Pass.
3.5, some nice songs. but in general not my style
It is okay. Like listening to a Pet Shop Boys and the Cure mashup... just not as good.
Pretty dang good. Lots of recognizable singles. The album tracks sound great too.
bad
This album is new wave incarnate, which works for and against it. Pretty solid over all with some catchy songs. Can get a tad repetitive but it’s not much of a problem with the shorter length.
p541. 1985. 1.5 stars. Annoying and whiny Mancs discover dance music and synths. They only have two songs, and they are spread very thinly over 40 minutes. And Bernard Sumner cannot sing. At least it is short.
Could hear the influences of so many 2000s albums I loved. Would give a 3.5 if I could, was great, probably wouldn’t listen again
Pretty solid but they have better albums
2/5 Pretty crunchy guitar and catchy raw synth, but JFC the vocals are so poorly recorded, and some of the solos are just drowned out by the generally really bad mixing and recording quality, catchy but generally pastiche/uninspiring for a mid 80's New Wave/Electronic album.
I liked the melody of nearly all of the songs in this album, and bought one song Elegia. However, the tone of the lead singer's voice is not for me, has a vintage 1970s style of tone.
Absolutely belongs on this list. Speaks my 80’s love language from beginning to end. “Face Up” was new to me and it’s a treasure.
Other than the first songs, this has been a very enjoyable album. The drums, synth, guitar working together in harmony form a wonderful soundscape for most of the songs. There’s also some interesting range, with the ambience of Elegía to the synth heavy more dance pop sound most of the album has. This album feels distinctly 80s. Low 4
Nope
80s geluid is nice
Begon matig maar werd wel heel vet vanaf het 3e nummer
I love New Order, this is one of my favorites of theirs. The Perfect Kiss, Elegia, and Sub-Culture would honestly be enough for me to give this rating even if the rest was like 3.5* kinda level, but that's not the case. Easy 5. PS: Peter Hook is a god.
i found the production at times dated, reflective of its mid-80s origin. despite this, the album is actually okay ! personally, i think this album is one of those albums where you cherrypick songs and listen to those but you don’t listen to the full album more than once, and for that, it’s getting a 4/10 from me. rest of the review on ig @musicwithnessa
Really good - especially elegia
Great composition, new wave in its full form. Compression was too intense at times making it sound very loud
Yuk
pretty good!! new wave 80s shit. slay
meh
I’ve been familiar with New Order since the 80’s. I always thought of them as pretty much just techno-dance music that happens to have lyrics which, admittedly, I never paid attention to. My opinion on that hasn’t changed from listening to Low-Life in its entirety.
Not for me. Vocals are very big to me and that is not a strength of this band.
I love New Order. But I realized upon listening again that what I adored -- deeply adored -- were the hits and the shift to electronic music/synthesizers. I try to remember that this album was their foray into dance hits. I will always love techno and New Order.
Track 1 (Love Vigilantes): The vocals are very creamy and i like how the guitar follows the vocals in the chorus. I love the perspective of a dead man and it's reveal is a bit of a gut-punch. I like how his singing becomes more intense in the outro. A great opening track. 9/10 Track 2 (The Perfect Kiss): The crazy panning is an interesting hook to the song but it doesn't overstay its welcome. The synth during the song plays a good riff and it sounds great especially in the chorus. The drumming in the instrumental section is really driving. The final verse is a great use of lyrics. 8/10 Track 3 (This Time of Night): I like the e-drums intro as it builds up and adds other instruments. A good blending of British culture and synth-pop. The chorus does start to feel a bit repetitive. 6/10 Track 4 (Sunrise): I like the more guitar and drums driven song in this album. It seems to be more punk influenced. I like the lyrics in this song. The guitar tone is great and the riff is pretty good especially mixed with the synth. 8/10 Track 5 (Elegia): I like the instrumental nature of the track and the synth that sounds like a choir vocal is a nice addition. I like how the tracks starts to get heavier and it can carry emotions with it even though there are no lyrics. 8/10 Track 6 (Sooner Than You Think): The heavy synth and bass make it have a gravitas to it. The double tracked vocals in the chorus really fill out the space of the song. The instrumental intro is a good touch to the song, 7/10 Track 7 (Sub-culture): There is a hip-hop kind of feel to the song. The synth is good for the song the chorus is catchy and works for the song and it aligns really well with the themes of loneliness throughout the album. 7/10 Track 8 (Face Up): I like the heavy distorted guitar along with a bass and synth. The drums have reverb on them that fit the opening of the song. The vocals have a yelling aspect to them that I like. It is definitely a punk inspired song.
Nunca me enganché con New Order y toda su familia circundante. Tampoco ahora. Aparentemente no es para mi esa cosa lo-fi.
Non amo gli anni ‘80
Meh
Why is this like the 3rd New Order album I've been subjected to. Only the lead track I kinda like mostly from familiarity with it being played on WXRT here in Chicago over the years.
Beetje saai, beetje Beatles/rolling Stones vibes
Loved it!
This is a great album. I can't believe I had never heard the band before. I'm shocked that this seems to be a less liked album. This is a brilliant album by all sense of the word. 5/5, 9/10
Good electronic rock album of the 80s
Seems like a great album to listen to on a lazy Sunday morning
Decent, not my cup of tea
Quintessential 80's, especially the Elegia track!
This one wasn’t for me. I quite like the instrumental track. I quite like that the bass makes it sound like The Cure sometimes. But otherwise, I was just waiting for it to end.
Read some of the reviews for this record before listening and saw a lot of people mentioning the bad vocals. Actually didnt really notice at all until the very last song where it's reaaally obvious haha. Overall a nice introduction to the genre for me, only my 6th album since starting this thing so a lot of these things sound very different to what i'm used to. Added some bangers to the playlist - solid 7.5 (aka 4 stars)
Couple of good tracks
I was thrown back to the mid 80's club/party scene. Beautiful memories.
Not for me.
This was fantastic I put my thoughts in the group chat. I love Peter hook on this album, very tasteful use of bass and synths.
Interesting instrumentation but overbearing vocals make this not want to come back to this album at all.
Nothing compares to hearing Blue Monday five shots deep. Would’ve been six if I hadn’t spit tequila all over the bartender.
B- Love Vigilantes 3 The Perfect Kiss 3 This Time of Night 3 Sunrise 3 Elegia 3 Sooner Than You Think 3 Sub-culture 4 Face Up 3 This was good. I'm burnt out with these reviews man.
Nothing too catchy here. It's not a bad album but not something I would intentionally play.
wow! i didn't really know what to expect going into this because i didn't quite mesh with the first joy division album, but I really liked this one! just a really great sounding, catchy synthpop album. not sure why i liked this one so much more, but i think it's because a lot of the songs are hookier, catchier, and more bombastic to me. a fun listen!
If you are into Joy Division, then I'm sure you'd be into New Order. I am not into Joy Division.
Great album, and great music!
Not my cup o tea. Reminds me of "the cure" but not a fan of the vocals.
Sounds like pretty basic 80s synth pop. Not a fan of the 80s clap drum sound. Reminds me of Eurythmics but not as good. After hearing the whole album, I was just very bored with the whole thing. Also the singing was trying too hard to be that 80s synth pop sound.
Didn't care for it
Some good things on the album, but it tends to be boring listening to the whole piece.
Enjoyed it
Is it me, or do they always sound bored and out of tune?
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.
Mood, matched!
I’m still new to knowing that I like any New Order after discovering that Blue Monday is by them. I had higher hopes for this one because of that. I do like them probably more than any other 80s synth pop band, but I have some caveats. This is good overall. Not great. Not one I’ll put on again, knowingly. Wouldn’t mind hearing a song or two. Elegia was great! Otherwise I found the vocals lacking, and at certain points just bad. I can deal with some imperfect singing, but from time to time it sounded like drunken karaoke. This gets a 3 because I honestly don’t hate it, but I’ll probably rate other New Order higher. Looking forward to Substance
I had no idea New Order was an offshoot of Joy Division! Mind blown. Such a different direction they went in, especially on this album. I knew the opening track “Love Vigilantes,” but nothing else. I love this kind of new wave synth pop stuff, although at times it might sound too stereotypically 80s to hold the same weight it did back when it was new. A solid, if not perfect album.