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Review: Jack Foley
NOW that their work has been recognised as 'godlike genius' by
the NME, it seems appropriate that New Order should unleash one
of their best albums in years.
Waiting For The Sirens' Call is a masterful effort that
effortlessly combines all of the usual traits with some nice changes
of direction.
With barely a duff track on it, the album contains 11 songs that
underline the band's creative brilliance and why they continue
to provide the inspiration for so many imitators.
First single, Krafty, was an excellent taster of what
to expect, featuring a terrific bassline and some really catchy
memories, that recalled the feelgood brilliance of earlier tracks
such as Regret - especially in the use of the guitar
sound.
Yet the rest of the long-player follows along in similarly upbeat
fashion, trading on the band's ability to both shake the dancefloor
and rock out when the mood takes them.
The rock 'n' roll influence is particularly vibrant on album
closer, Working Overtime, with its energetic, 60s inspired
rhythm, Brit-pop-style guitars and youthful swagger. It contains
nods to the hedonistic style of the Rolling Stones, as imitated
by Primal Scream - a band they are keen to acknowledge as one
of their own references.
Strong, too, is their Scissor Sisters' collaboration, Jetstream,
which finds New Order concentrating on the dancefloor.
Lead singer, Bernard Sumner, admits to being a little trepidatious
when the Sisters' Ana Matronic was first suggested as a potential
collaborator, but now candidly states that she 'really lifted
the song', giving it something that they couldn't.
Hence, it probably rates as one of the funkiest tracks they have
delivered in a long time, mixing Sumner's trademark vocals with
the camp style of Matronic's to breathtaking effect.
Further highlights include the bouncy, retro-styled I Told
You So which, by the band's own admission, merges dancehall
beats with elements of The Velvet Underground - as well as some
guitar riffs taken straight from The Cure.
It's a curious hybrid but one which works well and is well worth
revisiting several times.
New Order's ability to marry their early 80s roots and electronic
sound with the more guitar-driven vibe of their more recent work
is also showcased in moments such as Hey Now What You Doing
and Who's Joe, which further demonstrate the band's widespread
appeal.
It is the mix of vulnerable vocals and down-to-earth themes -
such as love, day-to-day living and relationships - that makes
them so endearing and which ought to ensure that Waiting For
The Sirens' Call emerges as another triumph for the band.
It is one of the most effortessly enjoyable albums of the year
that could well provide several of the approaching summer's anthems
(especially given the band's festival appearances).
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