Low-Life

Amazing the journey from Joy Division to this. That New Order sound is atmospheric and compelling. No crazy hooks here, solid.

Love Vigilantes- 6/10 The Perfect Kiss- 7/10 This Time of Night- 7/10 Sunrise- 8/10 Elegia- 10/10 Sooner than You Think- 8/10 Sub-culture- 7/10 Face Up- 7/10 60

Not my vibe. Tad boring.

80s classics nothing that stood out except the first song, could be missing something here

2.75 per track.

The 80s synths are to die for

3.5/5 Best Track: Elegia

Amazing!!!

Zeer leuke plaat, perfecte mix synths en gitaren, lijzige stem en supersimpele lyrics, soort Stranger Things soundtrack, heel veel Cure invloeden ook of vice versa. Nice!

Classic 80s electro pop sound, but with some terrible singing thrown in.

12/12/23. First time listening to New Order so don't know about their whole discography, this one I thought was just okay. Dancy, jangle pop like from the 80s that's fun in places, but wouldn't listen to regularly.

Lots of the same sounding. Not bad, but not my favourite.

Not too bad.

Not a huge fan of the genre, but came away enjoying this album.

not my favourite sound

Low Life: ein Nostalgie-Trip, der in der Vergangenheit stecken bleibt. Das Album, das einige für einen Meilenstein der Musikgeschichte halten. Ich frage mich, wer freiwillig solchen Schrott gehört hat in den 80s. Vielleicht sind sie in einem Paralleluniversum aufgewachsen, in dem der Klang von quietschenden Synthesizern und belanglosen Beats als Höhepunkt der musikalischen Evolution galt. Schon der Opener "Love Vigilantes" klingt, als hätten sie die Instrumente im örtlichen Spielzeugladen gekauft. Die eintönigen Gitarrenriffs und die lieblos zusammengewürfelten Texte erinnern eher an einen Schulprojektband-Auftritt als an echte Musik. Aber Moment mal, das muss wohl Kunst sein, die ich einfach nicht verstehe, oder? Fans schwärmen von Tracks wie "The Perfect Kiss", als wäre es die Offenbarung höchst persönlich. Ich frage mich, welche Art von "Perfektion" sie meinen. Vielleicht die Perfektion von schlechtem Geschmack und uninspirierten Drums? Die repetitiven Melodien lassen mich eher in der Langeweile versinken, als dass sie mich mitreißen. Aber der absolute Höhepunkt des Albums ist zweifellos "Eligia". Ein Lied, das so tief in den Untiefen der Belanglosigkeit vergraben ist, dass es schon wieder beeindruckend ist. Die Texte sind so kryptisch, dass selbst die Band wahrscheinlich nicht weiß, worum es geht. Aber hey, das macht es natürlich nur noch künstlerischer, oder? "Sunrise" erinnert eher an einen Untergang als einen Aufgang. Nur gefühlsduselige Heiopeis können diesem Geschrubbel etwas abgewinnen. Man könnte meinen, dass "Low Life" den Hörer auf eine emotionale Reise mitnimmt, aber in Wirklichkeit ist es eher eine Fahrt in einem veralteten Mazda 323, der bakanntlich das Gleiche Baujahr hat wie Low Life. Die Melodien sind so vorhersehbar, dass man fast die Uhr danach stellen kann. Wer braucht schon Innovation und kreative Neuerungen, wenn man stattdessen den gleichen langweiligen Sound recyceln kann? Ja, Moritz, das war Ironie. Überzeugen konnte mich New Order trotzdem nicht nachhaltig. Hängengeblieben ist auch nicht viel. Ich fand es aber alles andere als schlecht und gebe 2,5 von 5. LG

- Man hört auch 5 Jahre nach Gründung der Band immer noch stark, dass sich New Order sich nicht gänzlich von Joy Division lösen konnte/wollte, auch wenn New Order doch sehr viel weniger „Indi“ klingt, als ihre Vorgängerband - Der legendäre Bassound von Peter Hook, der eher einer Gitarre ähnelt, als einem Bass, die Dark-Synthies, die der Musik Fläche geben und dennoch vieles tanzbar und poppig bleibt. - Das alles gehört dazu, genau so wie Bernard Sumner, der die Töne nicht trifft. Das mag einige heutige Hörgewohnheiten irritieren, die durch Autotune in nahezu jeder Produktion geprägt sind aber fuck it, Joy Division hat ihre Ursprünge im Punk gehabt und außerdem war ja auch eigentlich Ian Curtis der wahre Sänger... - Ich finde das macht New Order unter anderem auch aus, die Gebrechlichkeit. Sowohl musikalische als auch die textliche. - Sunrise ist ein geiler Track, besonders dieser fette Morricone-auf-Synthbett-artige Instrumentalaufbau, der sich immer wieder durch den Song zieht - Das Album kommt dennoch nicht an Power Corruption and Lies und erst recht nicht an Substance heran Rating: 3,75/5

- ich hab dem Album beim ersten mal 2/5 Punkten gegeben - beim zweiten hören hat sich an dem Gesamteindruck nicht wirklich viel geändert. ich muss aber gestehen, dass ich manche riffs und melodien doch ziemlich cool finde. - mir gefällt leider der gesamte vibe nicht so gut und der leicht schiefe Gesang, der in vielen anderen Beispielen Stilmittel oder interessant sein kann wirkt hier auf mich leider nur daneben. 2,75/5

- Für mich hat keiner der Tracks besonders herausgestochen, nicht total schlecht, aber irgendwie auch nicht total gut - Es hätte gerne punkiger und weniger synthie sein können - Sunrise wurde mir vom schnackler wärmstens empfohlen, konnte den Erwartungen allerdings nicht gerecht werden Rating: 2/5

Some times I really enjoyed it. Some times, though, all I could think was "dated". Usually that means I need a couple more listens to get past it. It feels like they both lost and gained something important after Joy Division, anyway. I'll listen again. Also, that CHIN. whoa.

80’s New Wave is such a cheat code.

The story of Joy Division is a tragedy too many bands face. But the story of New Order is an inspiring one about conquering that tragedy. And conquer they did. They are hailed as one of the great bands of the 80’s, and played a large part in the growing success of the synth pop genre, which at this point in the decade, was only getting bigger. This is a good time. You can dance to these songs. This is very much New Order, and not Joy Division. But it also has an underlying layer of beauty with massive synth layers stacked on top of each other, and amazing chorus-soaked guitars. This feels right. This feels like the way all new wave and synth pop albums should be written. Sunrise is actually a masterpiece. One of my favorite songs I’ve heard from the 80’s ever. The only issue I have is the vocals. I don’t know what it is, but vocals never really seemed like New Order’s strongest characteristic. Rating: 8/10

I might revisit this some other time.

Boring version of Depeche Mode

I really enjoyed the sound of this album. 80s pop punk that delivers on just that. Synth and consistent bass lines with moody lyrics

Fun album, like the vibe

Needs a deeper dive

Nothing that really stuck out, but no skips or songs I hated

This is a solid musical statement I love how natural it sounds even though it is basically electronic dance pop.

One of their better albums, before they got too synth cheesy .

Dark and ominous. This certainly isn’t New Orders final form but it is one that is well produced and right catchy! I cannot be mad at this one at all. The one, glaring, flaw is quite big and that is that most of the songs drone on just the same.

Noice!

3.7 - I like a lot of this record, and I dislike some of it. Likes: elegant synth lines blended with post-punk sounding guitars; wide arrangements that especially dominate the mid-range; splashy percussions that add nice white noise in the background. Dislikes: flat vocal delivery; meandering lyrics especially on "Sooner Than You Think." Ultimately, I had really high hopes but this record fell short. Standouts: "Love Vigilantes", "The Perfect Kiss", "Sunrise."

The song Elegia made me think of Stranger Things, which speaks to how much their music shaped the sound of the 80’s. Yet, I think I prefer Joy Division. 3.0

I tried...but this album is shit

Not bad. Vocals are little tough though. Decent musically, but some songs are super dated. 3.4

really good

first listen this is the first new wave album i've liked, the synths are so raw

Fine. Cool songs. Bad singer.

Did not expect to enjoy this one so much, worth a listen if you’re a fan of synth-pop

The synths are exquisite but the vocals sound like karaoke.

New wave, I would say. Electronic-ey rock with echoey percussion

-i don’t think i have ever listened to new order? -i do actually like this guys voice -are those…….bug or frog sounds???? in the perfect kiss???? -these songs are very interesting to listen to -idk i’m im really into it or not yet -i’m going to be so fr this is boring to listen to LMAO -some parts of some songs are fun and good but the rest is dull -yeah this is a two for me

Good tune, guy was a bad singer

Better than the previous New Order album I got. I like how they kept some of their rock roots and mixed it with the typical electronica New Order is famous for. The weakest part is the lead vocals.

Still not understanding the post punk thing

An album of two halves - the first half being much better than the second

Hmm, it's just okay.

Okay album but the vocals are pretty punk-inspired which I just don't like for personal reasons. Too monotone. The synth vibes were good though!

80s movie background music

First saw the albums year, “oh great another 80’s album” This album gave me man coked up hovering over the newest synthboard saying, THIS IS GONNA FKIN HIT” and it actually kinda did.

A five for me. It’s one of my favourite new wave albums. So succinct and pleasing to listen to

Pretty solid, gave me images of classic 80s lasers and chromo coloring while people dance the shoo rag

*refined* new wave. The most refined

Nice album m80

Like most 80s music, New Order was a blind spot for me and I really didn't know what to expect. I actually enjoyed a lot of it.

Very good indeed. This feels like the midway point between New Order being 'the Joy Division band' and being 'the Blue Monday band'. It's got synths throughout, but also one or two moments of real post-punk, especially in the first song. Elegia is apparently about Curtis, and feels like a very literal and metaphorical goodbye to the great man all at the same time. It's a tremendous song.

Meh, not really for me

Musically curious, might have even been a 3 or a 4, but the guy cant sing for shit. It is genuine and emotional at times, but so out of tune. Id be interested in hearing a rerecording after the vocalist got better, because he certainly did, didnt her?

slight bias as someone who is already New Order fan, but I do really like this album. Lovely lyrics and vibes and just some funky sounds. Always been a bit iffy on the vocals, though. favorite track : 'Face Up'

Четко, как раз для того, чтобы танцевать в сельском клубе или заниматься аэробикой 8/10

Every song sounds like a classic you should know, but probably don’t

This is mid 80's pop, so it is synth heavy. I felt like I was watching a John Hughes movie. Being an '80s child, it is very nostalgic; therefore, good.

Quality post Joy Division band, but no standouts

best tracks: love vigilantes/sub-culture/face up worst track: this time of night overall: 6/10 or 3/5. good.

Upbeat music. Good for listening to at work.

ok, don't actually like the voice of the dude. music ok.

I'm a fan but hadn't listened to full albums before. This was great, they have that slightly sinister electro sound that's unlike anyone else.

Excellent

Boring

I love new order. Great.

Mid but understandable I guess

Oh yeah, I like this. Manages to be both moody and danceable. I’m sure I’ll listen again.

This album was not for me. It doesn't drive to anything significant. The only track I remembered was the 2nd and that was because I restarted it.

I really don't like this at all. The melody is really repetitive and the songs are long. The singing is mediocre. There's just no rhythm to any of it. It feels like a set of classic bad 80s songs, where's a bunch of repetitive techno and no god damn soul to any of it.

Awesome.

Normally, I'd say the 80s were my least favorite decade of music. I hate the overuse of synth and how pop music sounded like in general. There are a few silver linings though, and I'd say this album is one of them. The lyrics feel personal and not overly generalized for the radio, so I'd say that's the album's biggest strength. Still, overall it still has that 80s feel that I'm not very big on, but I'd listen to this again sometime.

(cred că) Primul album cu sunet 80s pe care l-am ascultat. Good grooves, catchy leads

Never heard of this band before, but this album was awesome. I listened to it twice today and will probably listen again tomorrow.

High school revisited

As someone who grew up in the grunge/post-grunge era, I’ve been conditioned to not like this kind of music. So I don’t

Good album. Definitely starts to suffer in the second one half with subpar vocals but the instrumentals really carry the album. Solid 80s vibes. 3.5/5.

I like some of NO's songs, but this album is u listenable for me, especially thanks to the production but also Bernard Sumner's surprisingly insecure vocals.

Wie erwartet für mich - bis auf zwei Songs - leider arschlangweiliger Synthie-Pop.

meh

Not my vibe but respect the innovation at the time

Meh

Good instrumentation and decent songwriting in places. Poor vocals

Love Vigilantes 4.

I don't know much about 80's music, it was a generation of music that I never really got into. There was something about the sound that I never really enjoyed, and I know I can't dump all albums into a single thought, so obviously I need to try to make more of an effort. I do prefer New Order to Joy Division and I don't know why. This album didn't have much I was familiar with but it was still enjoyable. The incorporation of synthesisers and samplers was surprisingly good, I think The Perfect Kiss might be one of the best new wave/synthpop songs out there. This was a very catchy album and that feels like an interesting juxtaposition to the lyrics. Standouts: Love Vigilantes, The Perfect Kiss, Elegia

Surprisingly good but not entirely my cup of tee

It's a vibe

I loved the vibe. Catchy and dancy and fun. I could definitely listen to that Sunrise song on repeat. 3.5

I thought I was going to have a hard time listening to this album critically because I generally like New Order a lot. I've heard most of this album as individual songs. But I have never heard the full album, and \"Face Up\" was new to me with good reason ... such poor vocals. Kind of ruined an album I was enjoying a lot up to that track. \"Sunrise\" is probably my favorite song from this album. But I also must admit I've always thought it was a Cure track. One general nitpick: the rhymey-rhymey lyrics all over the album were grating on me a little since I was paying attention ... but I can't argue with the vibes so it gets a 4.

It played on repeat like 2 and a half times before I realized? It was fine, with some moments.

I definitely listened to this album in its entirety yesterday morning but I could not tell you a single thing about it. 3/5 by default because if it had left a good or a bad impression I'd remember it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Idk how I have never heard anything by this band before. I thought it was fun! A little repetitive maybe, but I enjoyed it. I liked how it was kind of a cross between dance and rock. The frogs in "The Perfect Kiss" >>>. No particular song stood out. I can't choose between 3 and 4 stars.

not my favorite new order but it was nice to spend some time with them regardless!

i already know i'm kind of a sucker for this kind of stuff even though i don't really listen to it directly, just covers

Love Vigilantes: slaps This Time of Night: cardinal sin of "witchoo" Sunrise: slaps Elegia: fine but feels like watching The Cure jam instrumentally at their show as I wait desperately for something I can recognize

I like the music better than I like the singer tbh

Really liked it. Knew no songs but knew of a couple of New Order songs already. Would listen to again

Gutes New Order Album! Eines der besseren!

Forest Hills accepted our application.

it's alright init

Another one of my all time favourites This is the moment New Order managed to break away from the post-punk bindings of Joy Division and decided to go in a more electronic route and the results are very satisfying Favourite tracks: Love Vigilantes, The Perfect Kiss, Sunrise, Sub-Culture

Some gooduns some 80s workout video music

It’s very New Order, even though this is New Order trying to find their New Order sound. I don’t mind it. But it hasn’t persuaded me to explore any further than their hits.

Liked this, some of the synth work was awesome.

Pretty good!

Great even though Bernie can barely sing.

Terrible lyrics, terrible voice, great music. Good album flow. Forgot how good Elegia was. Also, songs I hate to love: Subculture and Perfect Kiss.

Forgettable softish rock. I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics though, they might have been better.

Oldie but a goodie

Didn't stand out to me in any particular way, but was good background music while I worked.

Boring album, plus I’m not a huge fan of synths.

Man, this is tough to rate. The vocals were very rough at most points, but the longer it went on the more I started to enjoy it. Solid music but held back by the vocals

Blind album and artist. Know them, never listened. Nothing much really to say, I guess it's also cause I am not a huge fan of joy division either... See the appeal, it's okay to me.

Leider nicht mein Fall. Trotz "zeitgenössischer Produktion" wenig Charme. Lethargischer "Funke" springt nicht ganz über. Gesamtwirkung eintönig 2,5/5

As much as I like Joy Division, I still can't get into New Order :(

We didn't know what would rise from the ashes of Joy Division. And we got New Order. They're catchy, synthy, and a beautiful representation of the new wave and pop electronic of the 80s.

This was a fun pop rock album. The second half of the album really made me feel like I was at the roller rink in the 80s. I especially enjoyed the bass. That being said there weren't any elements that really stood out to me as particularly impressive. Kind of reminds me of a filler episode in a long running TV show. All of the pieces of a good pop album are there but the end result came out kind of bland.

Good blend of electro/rock. Sunrise is an instant keeper.

It was good! Nothing special, but it's not bad

It was a fun one, I could see myself listening to this again.

Ear fatigue after 3 songs

All I hear is the Cure without melody Not too good

This shit slaps

Very solid 3+ or 4- I'm digging all the synths. Love vigilantes, sunrise, sub culture, face up being standouts

Man, I don’t know. Feels like I should like this album, but only one or two songs stood out. A bit mediocre, if you ask me.

A record that clearly holds promise, but too many songs sound alike and run into each other. Sunrise and Elegia are superb (probably because they sound more like Cure and Joy Division tracks, respectively), but the rest of the record does little to distinguish itself, while trending just above average. I'd happily listen to this again in the background, but am unlikely to put it on through choice. A mid to high 3.

det får bli en stark trea. vissa låtar är fina, framförallt öppningen av albumet men ibland är det för mycket konstig synth

Synthy dancy post-punk. Absolutely not where I’d have expected Joy Division to wind up :)

It's hard to think of any artist that did the synth-pop/new-wave sound better than New Order did in their prime. It's like they just couldn't help but make every song sound like a huge epic, while simultaneously being insanely catchy, especially on this album. Even when they dip back into the more post-punk style on a song like Sunrise, it's a complete banger of a track (very similar to The Cure though). There's about 4 albums from them you could put on the list and I wouldn't have an issue with a single one honestly. Maybe the lyrics are a little cheesy sometimes, and the singing isn't perfect, but god damn how can you not just dance around like an idiot listening to this?

Not my favorite new order album but still really good, perfect kiss is one of my favs by them

Am I biased because Peter Hook is one of my favorite bass players ever, yes. Is this album still straight fucking gas from front to back, also yes.

Nothing that stands out about this album but also nothing bad as well. The Electronica is good in some parts. Pretty much your standard 80's punk/electronica album. I don't plan to relisten. 3 out of 5.

I feel bad demoting it a star for not liking the vocals because I feel like this is how I sound when I sing too. Still pretty solid.

Synth pop. Weird that their song titles don't match their lyrics. Their songs all kinda sound the same to me but if that's the sound you like then it's a good thing. Favorite songs were Love Vigilantes and Elegia

Solid album. I had forgotten that the animated short "More" used the track "Elegia" from this album, so that was a fun surprise.

Not really my cup of tea: weak vocals at time, very 80s Favorite song: Elegia - cool synth/guitar Mashup. Good for a late night vibe

I bought this album at the time but consider it the beginning of the end in terms of creditability. Power, Corruption & Lies was the perfect hybrid of styles but by this time they'd really started to get swallowed up whole by synths, drum machines and insipid lyrics. They're like the hollowed out shell of a once great band. It's horrible and soulless.

Classic

Ik vind het veel weg hebben van the cure qua sound. Cool album, heb hem een hartje gegeven op spotify, denk dat het leuk is op een chille avond met vrienden als achtergrond

Amazing, pure 80's nostalgia! 9/10

Liked Elegia and sub-culture

Didn't vibe with it that much, but couldn't listen to all of it.

3,5

New Order is classic

I was surprised to not enjoy this as much as I expected, considering how much I like Blue Monday. It was ok, though.

Nothing but bangers, absolutely loved this album. 9/10, my favorite so far.

Something doesn't quite gel, is it just me, or is the vocalist singing off key? The music is marginally better. The sort of thing that gave 80s music a bad name.

Quality New order

This is the album that helped me appreciate New Order as a band in their own right rather than just being a slightly disappointing continuation of Joy Division.

Yeah. It wasn't bad. A new Peter Saville /Steven Morris project, CP1919, featuring an extract of the voice of Ian Curtis is getting its preview on 6 Music as I type. ###

Hadn't heard this album before, got off to a bit of a slow start, then I really got into it a few tracks in. Good stuff. 3.5/4.

I actually enjoyed this UK band, didn’t sound overplayed but had a familiar feel.

I know we've had one other from New Order so far, and I also know they've got hits that still haven't shown up. That makes this inclusion a little frustrating, but it's alright. The first track really hooked me, but there wasn't much after that to maintain the hold. Not bad by any means, it's New Order, I like their style. But we could do better. Favorite tracks: Love Vigilantes, Face Up. Album art: A shadowy man's face looking down from an odd angle. Band name is written in a confusing way on the right side of the frame. This one's weird, but it's striking and pretty memorable. 3/5

I think I am going to enjoy this album :) I did.

chill electronic piece to put on and turn your brain off. I enjoyed it

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Love the darker-sounding songs. Will probably play again at some point. Solid 3.5 stars.

Now the earliest New Order album I've heard. The sound is predictably less refined than Substance or Republic, but perhaps more sincere. I think that sincerity that comes through has been their appeal to me, and why I liked this one immediately, despite the greater-than-typical strained vocals and weak lyrical phrasing. As with The Cure and Slayer, I'm willing to look past some things because I like them. New Order music has that sense of having always been there, as though it acts as the form of a certain type of music.

Music for dancing under the influence of the 80s. How did joy division become this??? not their best album

His voice completely rips me away from how good I want this album to be. The second song is so cool in the beginning with its stereo effect but then his voice is just nails on a chalk board to me. Ugh. Give me this album without the vocals and it would be a 4/5. I commend Sumner for trying to take over as vocalist after the death of Joy Division, but there’s a reason why he wasn’t the original vocalist.

Amazing.

BLOWN AWAY

I very much enjoyed this album

Such a unique sound, there's no mistaking who this is. Favorite: Love Vigilantes

I don't like the mix. Vocals are too much in the background for some of the songs, not making it personal/intimate. Bit of a waste, as some songs seem pretty good.

Not my taste. I appreciate the impact of this album as it was a complete change for new order but it is feeling dated now

Relatively generic, seemingly over produced. Nothing notable lyrically. 2/5 Won't listen again

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

great vibes yeah. dance rock good vibes

de unaaa 7/10

Something funny happened in the (many) months spent procrastinating on writing this review. I think I've pulled up this album at least four or five times, hoping that this would be the day I had something to say about it. Over those nearly six months, something must have clicked, because when I hear these songs I'm just like "this is really sick." I was kind of ready to write this album off as another synth-pop 80's band, of which we've had plenty. That sonic signature starts playing, and I get a little queasy from all our other misadventures into this world. But this one just feels really, really fun and kind of unserious and pretty damn catchy. I realized that these songs have been floating around in my head for 6 months, because they all sounded like old friends. Isn't that funny? Took a long time to come around to it! Now I just really dig this and want to hear more from the band. They're in it for the right reasons, they just want to have fun, and even if it's dressed up in this certain way, it's a bit silly and just playful, too. Glad I gave this a half dozen listens cause I'm kind of converted! 4/5

Nothing crazy, very 80s new wave

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

Maybe I was just distracted by other things Friday, but nothing really stood out, I had a hard time really getting into it after the other great albums we had all week.

My thing with New Wave is that i really dig the new wave tunes that sound less like new wave. so this one is right on the fringe for me. there's a few tracks that harken back to the punk(ish) roots of this band and their previous incarnation, Joy Division(vastly superior, IMO), and then the dancy, drum machined "new wavey" remainder gets lost on me, for the most part.

Standard 80s. I just couldn’t. Not on a Friday at work. Is that unfair to the album? Maybe. But I don’t care. The album already knows its socioeconomic status and is self aware enough to proclaim it boldly on the cover. I wish the music was just as bold.

This is MUCH more my speed, the synths, the beats, I'm in love. I wanna listen to this album tomorrow and the next day. And the remaster isn't 12 hours long, which is a plus. Best Tracks: Love Vigilantes The Perfect Kiss Sub-Culture

Low-life, more like ur a lowlife if u dont like new order

I've never really bothered to look up New Order other than their singles. I found their previous album, Power, Corruption & Lies, quite passable and with the obvious lack of Blue Monday on the original tracklist, the album didn't stick with me. And with no obvious hits on Low-Life, this album seemed even more daunting, especially with that non-descript album cover And wow what an awkward beginning. Love Vigilantes is an awfully awkward ballad, with Bernard Sumner proving that yes, he had to be coaxed to be the singer. Add in some awkward stomp rock drums and I fear some really dated music is coming up. Which is really most of this album: Bernard Sumner singing like the guy who had a few too many drinks at the karaoke bar, blaring synths, and I guess there's some drumming. The album tries to convince you its melancholic but really the fragrance I would give it is cheddar. The only highlights for me are in the middle, when the album sounds a-typical. Sunrise sounds like a sudden The Cure-cut and instrumental Elegia is nicely moody. This Time of Night is the only song where their melancholic mood works. Perhaps New Order isn't the band for me. I only really listen to two or three singles from them (guess which ones are the latter two because we all bloody know what the first is), and even with Joy Division I only play Unknown Pleasures. Feeling a strong 2 to a light 3

Hate to say it, but it does not sound like anything too special. I read the Wikipedia article and that did not mention anything about the album that was revolutionary, or an unexpected turn by the band. Did learn that New Order has people from Joy Division. I think I should treat the album for what it is, and appreciate the calm 80's sounds that it brings. Eight tracks that are quite busy instrumentally but still bring calmth. The instrumental tracks build a serene yet intense mood. With only eight tracks, this album brings eight solid pieces and does not need filler or clutter.

Fantastic album and not one I’ve given any time to previously. It felt rough in a good way. I’d absolutely come back to this. It’s good to hear the building bricks of what came next for New Order and so many other artists too.

I’d never ‘got’ New Order first time round even though they are my era. Never got past the feeble vocals. Listening to this tonight though, while cooking, at one point round about track 4/5 I could see the appeal of the warbling synth angst.

80/80 new smith order

Every song is great besides Elgin which should have been the opening song or just removed. It’s a weird flow being in the middle of the album.

mildly annoying generic 80s music

First half is better

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

Good new album order. A bunch of songs that sound like they were almost hits.

3 stars

2, loses SO MUCH steam. I suppose bland has to be defined somewhere and this feels like a record that was copied to death after it's creation, and I can't appreciate the history and ideas that went into making this a record a nominee for this list.

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yes I enjoyed this one, first time hearing this one and just shows their stuff stood the test of time! Favourite song: Track 2 - The Perfect Kiss

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

Jag tycker det är ganska bra cool stil

Inte min grej och inte så minnesvärt helt enkelt. Inte dåligt men ja.

Väldigt synligt, som om Edwin Falkstrand komponerat musiken. Sen tyckte jag albumet var rätt så bra ändå. Konstigt omslagsbild Favorit: Elegia, Sunrise

2nd New Order album I've gotten. I think I liked the other album (Technique) better, but this is still fun, that electronic 80s pop sound. My favorite track was Sub-Culture.

4/5 start, 2/5 end, solid 3/5

5/10 solid, good songwriting, but not my fav sound design - sometimes sounds like they put midi into a blender fav song: sunrise

Enjoyable album, however, in my opinion, it has a very weak b-side. After Elegia, things start to fall apart, resulting in an incoherent mess of an ending.

it’s not bad i guess.

I have always listened to New Order, but I have never listened to a New Order album. I knew a few songs on this album, but as someone who knows their later material better than earlier, I am surprised at how post-punk this sounds. I probably should not be. Not a bad song on this album and I would venture a guess that it is not my favorite album by them (I will revisit each one now), but it's incredibly entertaining and fun.

This album bounces and feels like life.

Right up my street and a really solid album that I listened to more than once. Nice mix of styles and you can hear the band evolving. Never listened before but this is well worth a listen and I'll listen to it again for sure.

80’s favorites.

Sounds like a watered down Depeche Mode, some songs were good, others aged like a sandwich left in your high school locker over summer break. 🥪🥪

I had heard the hits, but never the deep cuts. Solid album. Entire modern genres like synthwave owe a large debt to this.

First listen: groovy (as in cool drums), a lot of the songs are highly repetitive with little lyrical and melodical content to keep it interesting but maybe that's the whole point. pretty cool spanky guitar tone tho. not my cup of tea at the moment

I don’t get it. Seems like a watered down version of The Cure.

rip new order you would’ve love soundcloud.

I own the vinyl, bought the record when it came out. Honestly, I can't argue too much with this inclusion in the sense that their huge singles were not on the previous album "Power, Corruption & Lies" -- if "Blue Monday" and "Confusion" and "Thieves Like Us" were included on that record, it would have been a clear winner over this one. That said, we rate the albums as released, not the albums we wished were released LOL and this is a very solid outing with some good tunes.

The vocals were a bit rough from time to time, especially in that last song, but it was still good. I quite liked the music and the feel of it. I could see myself liking it more over time, but it'd probably stay a four. Cool listen though. My favourite songs were Sooner Than You Think, The Perfect Kiss, and Sub-Culture.

Annoyingly 80s.

I’m conflicted by this record. The highs are great. But the lows, man are they low. This record apparently marked the start of New Order’s transition to a more danceable style of music. I really can’t stand the electronic inspired dance songs. There are some songs on here that reminded me of the cure, which I really liked.

This was one of those albums that feels like it was probably groundbreaking at the time and only sounds generic now because of how many bands aped its sound, but coming to it decades later it just sounded like good-but-basic 80s music to me.

Great 80s music, I love this style. This album is going on rotation.

Very good album. I was pleasantly surprised. I did not know much about this band, and there were no songs on this album that I didn’t like. Top 3 songs off the album for me are The Perfect Kiss, Elegia, and Sub-culture.

Бодро, синтово, стильно

Почему так хорошо... прям очень... Короче ожидалось сначала логическое продолжение Joy Division. Что-то такое же мрачное и угрюмое. Конечно, это и здесь было местами, но всё-таки здесь светлая меланхолия доминирует над думерскими вайбами. Вот этот бесконечный Perfect Kiss, который прям вообще уже диско отдаёт - гипнотизирует своей ударкой. А Sunrise наоборот - уже что-то гружёное, готическое. И всё блин нравится! А, ну и чётко слышно, что слушал Виктор Цой.

Sounds good

They’re still coming together here.

De zanger weet de verder aardige muziek goed te verpesten met z'n jankerige klaagzang. Jammer.

It was good but not my taste

Good

Really enjoyed this one, and it was flirting with a 5 until the final track. It's difficult to make dance rock also sound objectively good musically, but they nailed it. New Order's ability to pivot to this type of music after Joy Division is also very impressive. Favorite track: Elegia

Eeeeh this was okay. I think I'm in a shit mood though.

tem gosto de the smiths e deepeche mode hmmm que sabor

ehh

йен кертис был тем самым депрессивным чуваком в компании из за которого остальные не могут норм веселиться

Fun

Another natural inclusion into the Joy Division/ New Order Discography

This is a great start to the album, will update once it's done Update: really great album from start to finish, really enjoy it

Hmm. I feel like the vocals let this down in many of the songs. But I really love the layered instrumentals and depth of sound.

Great stuff! No major hits on this album but its still consistently good. Favorite track: Sunrise. A strong 4.

hmm. well, there are a handful of songs that I really enjoy - elegia, the perfect kiss, love vigilantes, a couple more - but the other songs were fairly unremarkable. as always, i love the sound of new order. elegia was incredible.

Track 1 - Love Vigilantes Simple harmonica line to open, atmospheric bass pads, ambient bouncy guitar lead, classic plucky hooky bass, drums are incomparable to Steve in joy division, innocent, hopeful lyrics, thin chorusy percussive guitar in the background, not the strongest of openings 7/10 Track 2 - The Perfect Kiss Light djembe, synth stabs panning left and right, sounds like new order, groovy pulsing synth rhythm, thick heavy chords, drum machines galore, odd shiny plucked guitar here and there, cowbell?, simple guitar solo into fade out 8.5/10 Track 3 - This Time of Night Funky bass lines, pulsing deep synth leads, simple sad piano lead ended by one deep resonant note, hand claps as per usual, coercive vocals, looped synth pattern, backing vocals come in at the backend of the song 7/10 Track 4 - Sunrise Deep drawn out isolated synth lead, chorusy flimsy guitar line, classic new order drum machines, echo and the bunnymen type vocals, gloomy thin guitar lead, big soaring crescendo of drums pads and guitar, hybrid between the gloominess of joy division and the uplifting synth pop of new order 8.7/10 Track 5 - Elegia Ominous keys intro, simple chorusy guitar melody, poor sounding choir like leads, pretty prissy synth melodies, heartbeat like pulsing percussion, light acoustic in the background, gothic sounding keys, thundering twangy driven guitar, atmospheric instrumental that gets a bit boring after a while 7.5/10 Track 6 - Sooner Than You Think Tapping drum melody, arpeggiated guitar chords, echoey keys, wavy synth stabs, doubled up vocals, melodic guitar solo kind of, weak thin chorus tinged guitar solo that turns into a synthy sound? 7.8/10 Track 7 - Sub-Culture Proddy synth lead, groovy drum beat, up down bass rhythm, soft half spoken word vocals, pulsing melody, interesting drum pads sounds like tapping glass bottles, gloopy chorus guitar 8.2/10 Track 8 - Face Up Rumbling bass, dotted synth lead, deep pounding kick, layered hand clap, metallic slap bassline, joyous synth lines, mood changes very abruptly, trotting drums, vocals struggle to stay in key at times, ploddy, shiny guitar lines, slow fade out 7.8/10 Final Thoughts: This album marks the change in the band and their transformation from gloomy post punks into synth pop icons. The album has a lot of material to impress the fans of the bands later discography, like the dance orientated grooves of The Perfect Kiss and the funky rhythms of Face Up, whilst appealing the post punk diehards, with the gloomy lingering effect of joy division on their shoulder shown in Sunrise. All in all, this album is full of infectious grooves and hypnotising synth leads and is a must listen for fans of 80s synth pop and new wave. Best Song: Sunrise or The Perfect Kiss Worst Song: Love Vigilantes Most Underrated song: Face Up Final Rating: 8/10

Better than I was expecting

En ple moment dolç per la banda, editen un àlbum que continua elaborant el so tan propi i original que els va fer diferents. Synth pop allunyat de la resta de bandes del génere, amb una identitat molt marcada. No hi ha singles clars, però tot el disc flueix i t'arrossega amb les seves capes d'efectes, sintes, i més presència de guitarres que els seus discos anteriors

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

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

Synth pop SUURET FÄÄRIT.. Mahdollisia.. Paska synth pop... voi esittää parempaa.. helposti.. vingahtaa... samalla tavalla silti.. Paskuus märkyys ja Ruskean skaala... Objektia.. 3 tähteä.. 85 vuosi.. obj.. vuosi.. merkittävä... sounds like 1987.. Holy hell.. its 85...

Overall an enjoyable new wave sort of record, but also didn't feel like anything that I hadn't already heard before. Could be really fun if you're in the mood for it, but I didn't really have that connection. The backtracks seemed pretty well thought out, but the vocals tended to take me out of it

she's really good

Bit confused by this album. I’m not a fan of the band and I don’t like vocal style, it sounds weak and out of tune. I never usually notice lyrics but from the first track they stuck out as quite bad to me. The style varied quite a lot, the first few songs seem to have a kraftwerk influence but the 4th track Sunrise sounds like the Cure. I did really enjoy Elegia which was moody and cinematic sounding. It’s an instrumental and I could imagine Ian Curtis’s voice over it which made me feel quite sad. I think I will always see New Order as Ian’s backing band. I preferred the second half but it has the same flaws, the vocals and lyrics grate on me, e.g. Sub Culture starts well but it loses me when Sumner comes in with “I like walking in the park”.

First impression was nearly horrible, especially the voice. After few times I understood that I like these songs. But how I should dance with this music? Oh, you know what I mean, yes you do.

7/10

There's just something about that plunky reverbed guitar. I dig these guys. Not every song is a 10/10 in composition, but the execution is tremendous.

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

reminded me of depeche mode- a duo i adore so enjoyed this album a lot, interesting futuristic sounds throughout, iconic for this era of music

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

Joy Division walked (and lan Curtis swung) so New Order could run (and ultimately dance).

Don't understand the appeal of New Order at all, painfully average

Quintessential 80s sadboy music

A handful of their songs are classics, and Peter Hook is a great lead bassist, but damn, Bernard's voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

Pushing a 4.

Wiki says this is when they go more to dance music, and they aren't wrong. Classic 80s synth and drum machine vibes. Very cool

I'll rate this the same as I rated their previous work in Joy Division. No major improvement. In like 1987, I had a Casio keyboard with a bunch of colored "rhythms" buttons on it. I feel like maybe these guys inspired the sounds that would play when I pushed those buttons. That's not necessarily a compliment.

Surprised by how much I enjoyed this

Likeable if you're into this genre. I don't know if I'll return to this album, but I can totally see how Low-Life:Gen X/Boomers:: the xx : millennials

There are some great tunes on here, and in some ways this is the quintessential New Order album. It just SOUNDS like New Order. Some of the production here sounded a little dated (Face Up). Elegia stops the flow of the album here. Probably an intentional mood change, but it sounded a bit of a filler track, to me. A good album, but not as great as Power, Corruption and Lies, as the song quality is more variable here.

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

I really like the bleepy bloop synths and bops Bernard's voice 😖 otherwise might have been a 4

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

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

Hell yeah

De la musique avec des synthétiseurs c’est toujours bons!

It's the cure meets tears for fears. Not super impressed tbh

I like New Order better than Joy Division, but both bands suffer badly from being more mood setters than tune makers — you know it’s them playing but apart from a few singles you couldn’t pin down the song. Despite the dance pop pretensions, this album isn’t exactly exuberant, either. Between Bernard’s demoish warble and all the minor key synths, it's an ugly comedown at the factory.

Meh! Sounds dated and, quite frankly, naff.

Kinda sounds like it was all home-produced. Three tracks in and there's nothing here really yet. OK, track 4 (sunrise) kinda bangs. Until it gets whiney. Am undoubtedly hearing a lot of Peter Hook on this and I'm not sure if I'm OK with that - the guy might be a great bassist but he's an absolute dick Serious bass drum on sub-culture but the whiney vocals and sense that this has been put together half-heartedly in a home studio really pushes through

The more I listen the more I like it

Just a great new wave album

Highlights: "The Perfect Kiss," "Sub-Culture," "Face Up" Musically it’s like if the worst aspects of The Smiths teamed up with the worst aspects of Bruce Springsteen and Duran Duran. Most of the album is so cringey not just because of the weak vocal performance, or how every member of the band seems to be dead set on ignoring everybody else, especially those dawdling guitar lines like something a child would play, but also because most of the lyrics are transparently evasive. It's full of this whining voice forcing inflated, obtuse non-descriptions of all these grievances in a relationship where he’s obviously the problem. It’s at its best when its more literal and direct, which happens to be when it’s about self-loathing, particularly the closers. I can see this having a similar appeal in the 80s to what Xiu Xiu did later; lyrically, it’s like if Xiu Xiu didn’t have problems and was just covering Taylor Swift subjects. Even in its own time, this is a hi-fi version of an album you could grab for free from a local band playing Tuesdays in a pool hall. Its popularity doesn't seem to owe much to its derivative and awkward sound, but to the fact that the world is full of toxic, self-pitying losers.

Some good tunes, but his voice + the lyrics I heard were enough to wish it was an instrumental

The first three songs were good enough, but I really liked Sunrise and Elegia. My mom loves this group 3.5

very good post punk album

Didn’t listen to much, but I like what I heard. Similar to the smiths

I generally really like New Order and like Joy Division even more but this album felt like kind of a snooze to me. I would add some of the standout tracks to a mix but wouldn't go back to this album as a whole. A lot of the non-standout tracks felt similar to me and just kind of blended together. I'm actually kind of surprised how universally praised this album is for New Order, who I just think has stronger music elsewhere. Standout Tracks: Love Vigilantes, Sunrise, Face Up

This didn't really do it for me, but it's certainly better than a ton of albums I've given 2-star ratings, so I'll give it a 3.

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

It's New Order, so there's no doubt I'm going to like it. I was cool hearing many of these older tracks for the first time.

Some of the synths are really good. And I have a lot of respect for the direction that this album pushed music in. That being said the main vocalist is so wildly off key that the album is tough to listen to. It makes you wish auto tune was invented earlier to prop this album up.

i’m very much not opposed to genre-bending bands in general, but i didn’t love this from new order. it’s them trying something totally different in vibe, and making something less good than what was (and is) available. still listenable, but not my favorite

New Order brought a certain special style of electronic-aided rock music into the world. This album showcases their talent best.

Catchy electro beats. It's good but nothing too standout

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

I didn't much care for this album although I do like New order.

Love it! Reminds me of Chicago late 80s.

A great album, many tracks have melancholic lyrics combined with happy beats. Based on the lyrics alone, at first I thought the band was American, not British. Like a typical 80's album, many tracks are heavy on the synth (not a bad thing). I also thought the vocalist had a fitting, "broken" voice for this kind of rock. Best tracks in my opinion are Elegia, Sub-Culture and This Time of Night.

It was pretty good

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

This is a good album. Solid theme, catchy tracks, does exactly what you think its going to do and does it well. 4/5

Liked that instrumental one.

Some highs and some lows on this 80"s album. Hard to not be seeing Wham or Boy George dancing to some of this but then the instrumentation pull in the right direction.

Key tracks: Love Vigilantes, Perfect Kiss, Elegia

A couple great songs - Love Vigilantes, Sunrise - surrounded by mostly average to decent 80's synth pop. I've heard better new wave.

The album is so obviously from the 80s. Heavy synth use on top of more standard rock elements. I don't have major issues with it, but it doesn't hold up particularly well to me and this isn't my favorite era of music generally. At best most songs don't really stand out, and at worst the singer's voice is a bit annoying (like on Sub-culture). Maybe it just says more about my tastes, but Elegia (a 5 minute long instrumental) was the only song that really stood out to me on the album. Favorite song: Elegia