Reviews (page 8 of 10)
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
This has some really amazing songs here (elegia is so so good) completely surrounded by meh
enjoyed it, was nearly a 3 though
All the synth pop one could want.
Best Song: Elegia. Very Stranger Things. As much 80s as I'm willing to tolerate. Worst Song: Sooner Than You Think. No all that worse than the other tracks, but that "solo" at the end really sucked. Overall: Classic 80s fare, in particular with its focus on a busy synth background and a lead vocalist who can barely sing. It is no coincidence that my favourite track is the one where he doesn't.
The instrumental song was the best one.
More fun that joy division
Decently enjoyable.
This was a perfectly fine listen. Wouldn't skip any of the songs, maybe would seek a couple out? Solidly average all around.
I don’t enjoy most of it. A lot of repetitive beats/synths.
Good album - no hits though.
Pop con sintetizadores. Para ser de 40 minutos, se me ha hecho largo.
Love Vigilantes,
Such strong Cure vibes on “Sunrise”! Interesting thing: as I listened I just kept thinking of what other great bands they sounded like. That means they were epically influential or they were riding a wave. Not sure which, but ultimately I like the bands they remind me of more than them.
Bunch of meh. That anemic 80s vocal just doesn't make me feel a damn thing.
No esperaba nada, pero qué grata sorpresa me llevé. El álbum está muy bien, lo único que me parece algo flojo son las partes vocales, con esto no me refiero a que cante mal o a que tenga mala letra, sino más bien a la melodía que hace con esta en general. Sin embargo, no es algo grave y, por otra parte, la instrumental es algo hermoso que lo compensa completamente, y estoy seguro de esto porque resulta que, casualmente, la que creo que es la mejor canción es justo en la que no hay letra. Definitivamente es un álbum que seguiré escuchando y espero encontrar más como él, pues, lamentablemente, nunca había escuchado un trabajo tan bueno con los sintetizadores en algún otro álbum y, los más modernos, tienden a ser bastante genéricos. En conclusión, me encantó y creo que está muy bien logrado, resaltando el apartado instrumental, que pienso es un punto muy fuerte en él.
I didn't read the Wikipedia article until after I'd listened to the album but I was going to say... I feel like this is New Order finding their sound. There are moments that could be on albums they made 20-30 years later. This album is also full of a lot of the songs I love to hear when I'm at a pub.
Can't get into this 80s sound
kind of a weak album tbh. I’m also just not a huge new order guy but still. cmon
Highlights: Love Vigilantes, The Perfect Kiss, Elegia
Gościu nie umie śpiewać, słabo nagrane. Druga połowa trochę lepiej, Ale jak New Order to tylko Blue Monday.
Enjoyed this more than the previous NO album on here
Not bad, not great IMO. Might have to go back and listen to this again with a more mature ear.
Absolutely delightful. Elegia took my breath away
Álbum interessante, gostei bastante das musicas mais instrumentais.
Meh
Listened Before? Y Ah yes, New Order. Kings of noisy, frantic new wave. I really like this album, it's less hectic than some of their others. No big hits here, but a bunch of quality new wave songs. Thoroughly enjoyed. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Love Vigilantes
When it sounds like Italo, i love it. When it sounds like New Order, i don't
It's a good album. It's just that I switched to another album right after
This post-punk nonsense is so damn bad. Only good song this band ever released was World in Motion.
just not very good, innit
Not a fan. The vocals were quickly fatiguing. 2/5
English rock, surprisingly the best song had no words. 3/5 wasn’t sure how to place it but it warrants another look down the line
This is great, New order could right a banger
Dit zijn nou echt nummers met een 80's vibe, ook al haat ik die term. Kende het album en de nummers niet (New Order zelf natuurlijk wel), werd blij verrast door elegia.
Not a fan!
Niet pour moi!
Not bad, not terrible, just average I'd say. Makes me wonder if there are actually 1,001 albums I really need to hear before I die. The use of croaking frogs in one of the songs was interesting. Not a big fan of the fake sounding drums and hand claps. Best track: Love Vigilantes
This feels like generic 80's pop music. Synths are nice and the (what I assume are 808s) are pretty good. Not bad, not particularly great. The instrumentation is good, but not a fan of the singing. This is an album that would get sampled in modern music solely for the backing track. Probably a 3/5
pretty generic british people music, innit?
This fits somewhere in the middle between The Cure and Depeche Mode, but it's not as good as either of them. The music is alright, but the singing drags the level down. It doesn't sound like an artistic choice to add character to the music, it's incompetence. The songs are longer than they need to be. There's probably over 1000 better records than this. Favorite song: the perfect kiss.
Good for the genre, but not my favorite genre.
Crappy, shallow, Casio-demo, bullshit synth, britpop. It's worthless trash and I'm mad I had to listen to 40 minutes of it.
What if the Cure played dance music? I liked this more than I expected. Not everything from the '80s is bad. I don't think anyone would think this was from any other decade, but unlike a lot of '80s music, it still holds up pretty well. 7/10
not my fave New Order, but still enjoyed it
Not an album I knew much about, but I found my new favourite New Order track on it - Elegia is an absolute masterpiece, which is far more moving than an instrumental has any right to be. The other songs are all pretty good too, but not as magical as Elegia. Overall, better than a 3, not quite good enough for a 5.
One of my favourite albums of all time
Low-Life is great of course, even a bit better than Brotherhood and Technique, which are obviously 5 stars too. But of course the album you expect to see in a list like this is Power Corruption and Lies.
I'm running out of adjectives to describe bad vocals; have I tried 'atrocious' yet? I remember liking Power, Corruption & Lies, but maybe it was just one or two songs that I enjoyed, or maybe there was less singing.
Very strong songs, revealing themselves after a few spins.
I was surprised by a few bangers.
It lacks the emotional depth of Joy Division but still a vg album. Gritty, dark yet dancy. V enjoyable! Particularly liked Sunrise and Elegia.
Now I know where Adam Sandler got the inspiration for the bits where his character was having a breakdown in The Wedding Singer.
Ágætis plata. Mjög sterk tengsl úr sumum af þessum lögum í t.d. seinni tíma projectið Electronic.
Released in 1985, New Order's third album finds them grasping ever more boldly for the light switch, while riding the wave of synth-pop and dance-rock through the decade. On first listen, it may seem difficult to identify any of the gloomy post-punk Joy Division were celebrated for. But even though the synths are perkier, the tonality brighter, the tempos quicker, "Low-Life" is still a dark record, tinged with sorrow and despair. It makes for an engaging listen, without reaching the heights of their best work (sadly, no "Age of Consent" here). The cynicism and grief is dragged out screaming in the opening track, "Love Vigilantes." While the soaring melodica and three major-chord progression suggest an unabashed optimism, dig a little deeper and we're chronicling the tale of a trigger-happy war patriot who gallantly fights for his country and then returns home to find his wife laying dead, tears frozen in her eyes, a telegram in her hand telling of his death. The narrative approach really helps to sell the song, kicking off "Low-Life" on a promising note. "The Perfect Kiss" conjures up a wistful, nostalgic sentiment. It's full of thunderous tom fills, sweeping synths with thousand-yard stares, Bernard Sumner's frayed, ailing vocals. Samples of frogs and sheep add an air of novelty which, mercifully, isn't too distracting. The climax of "Sunrise" is perhaps the high point of the record, where the frantic rhythm guitars are dialled up into a maelstrom. Elsewhere, "Elegia" is an expansive instrumental, and a welcome opportunity for the band to envelope the listener in atmosphere alone. And "Face Up" is a wonderful pop-leaning closer, from the opening arpeggiator and booming drums to the cathartic final run of the chorus. The vocals are decidedly flawed, and the songwriting isn't always gripping ("This Time of Night" and "Sub-culture" in particular both come across as hurried filler). But the sheer sound of New Order is surely their greatest asset: a winning interplay between bang-on-trend synthesisers, programmed drums, and Peter Hook's iconic shimmering basslines.
All the elements that made New Order stood up are already here: the gothic melodies, the energetic pace, the oblique atmosphere. Personally, I love Power, Corruption, and Lies, but this album has great songs too.