New Order - Music Complete

It defies belief that New Order are releasing a new album in 2015. In their various incarnations the group have lost original singer Ian Curtis (when they traded as Joy Division), manager Rob Gretton, Factory label boss Tony Wilson and bass-player Peter Hook (still plying his trade as low-end deity but very much not on speaking terms with his former band-mates).
Yet, against all expectations, New Order are alive and kicking – as testified by the old-school electro pop of opening track ‘Restless’, a classic NO moment notwithstanding frontman Bernard Sumner’s perhaps ironic lyrics (“I want a nice car and a girlfriend who’s as pretty as a star”).
If ‘Restless’ is a brilliant comeback moment and a serious grower, the rest of Music Complete is equally impressive, with ‘Tutti Fruti’ in particular recalling the pop majesty of their Ibiza album Technique, as New Order pursue their most electronic leaning direction since their era-defining 1999 album.
Music Complete is also their longest album to date, occasionally to its detriment. The Iggy Pop spoken-word contribution ‘Stray Dog’ and closing track ‘Superheated’, featuring Brandon Flowers from The Killers, are both far from iconic. Generally, though, Music Complete is a fine addition to one of the greatest catalogues in British pop.

KEYTRACK: 'Singularity'