Low - Life

New Orders third LP, Low-Life, is, in every way, the artistic equal of their breakout, 1983s Power, Corruption & Lies. Building on the genre-hopping brilliance of the two singles they released in between -- the Arthur Baker-produced electro track "Confusion" and the dramatic synth rocker "Thieves Like Us" -- Low-Life marks the point where the bands fusion of rock and electronics becomes seamless. Its heavily sequenced and synthesized, but with bravura work from Bernard Sumner on guitar and Peter Hooks plaintive, melodic bass taking a lead role. The record is filled with hooky, hummable pop songs, but just as important are the experimental techniques that the band and engineer Michael Johnson employ. The melodica-led pop song "Love Vigilantes" is a perfect opener, a surprising bit of songcraft -- for the first time Sumners lyrics tell a story -- with the kind of melody thats built to be a timeless earworm. "The Perfect Kiss" is almost the equal to that track melodically; however, the skittering beats, gleaming sequencers, and electronic handclaps point more forcefully toward the dancefloor. After this one-two punch, New Order filter in tracks like "This Time of Night" and "Elegia" that evoke the dark, nocturnal mood of the albums title and artwork; they make a white-hot racket on the hardest-rocking song in their catalog so far, "Sunrise," which is an amazing showcase for Hook and Sumner at their electric best; they add popping dance tracks ("Face Up" and "Sub-Culture," which was later improved by a slick remix); and, on "Sooner Than You Think," they show off an almost bouncy, light side of the group. Sumners openhearted vocals and intimate lyrics here and throughout show the band coming out of their shell and connecting on a broader emotional level. By the end of Low-Life, theres no mistaking that New Order have reached a peak, experimenting with their sound and their style, yet keeping every moment wrapped in an unmistakable humanness. ~ John Bush & Tim Sendra