Following bassist Peter Hook’s acrimonious isolation from New Order, the legendary band were thought by some to be dead and buried.
Album 10 is therefore something that fans perhaps never expected to see. It’s the scene of Gillian Gilbert’s return to the studio, for the first time in almost 15 years, while Bad Lieutenant’s Tom Chapman and Phil Cunningham complete the revamped, Hook-less line-up.
‘Music Complete’, though, will live or die by the omission of a truly iconic bassist, with the band’s unique legacy having been formed by the individual excellence of four equally vital interlocking parts.
The album begins in tremendous fashion, with three huge songs heralding its arrival. The opener, Restless, has all the hallmarks of the latter-day New Order sound, bar that phenomenal bass, an ingredient that would have sealed its status as a classic in the band's catalogue.
Singularity’s opening bassline is good, but again is tempered by comparisons to Hook’s style. The opening bars recall the band’s earliest work before it develops into a more familiar, dance-inflected cut, the electronic beats this time shining through as the most vital aspect of its success.
Plastic is simply superb, channelling Donna Summer’s I Feel Love and exciting electronica to add up to one hell of a track, despite its bass passage again yearning for those familiar tones.
The rest of the collection doesn’t quite achieve the same highs. Tutti Frutti is a little corny, while People On The High Line is eerily reminiscent of a Wham! effort before the addition of house piano. Stray Dog is a curiosity; a narrative spoken by Iggy Pop and set to a driving, Kraftwerk-esque beat. Brandon Flowers pops up for the closing track, Superheated, but in all honesty his contribution is to reshape New Order as the Killers.
The go-to New Order sound is present on another couple of top efforts, Academic and The Game, while Nothing But A Fool is a prime example of an average song that would have been elevated considerably by Hook’s presence.
On its own merits, ‘Music Complete’ is very good, with plenty of decent peaks to satisfy fans, but it’s clear that three quarters do not quite equal a whole and the album is set to divide opinion. Those who pine for Hook will undoubtedly feel torn between disappointment and the euphoria of an album brimming with unexpected quality.
New Order Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Mon November 16 2015 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
Tue November 17 2015 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
Thu November 19 2015 - GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow
Sat November 21 2015 - LIVERPOOL Olympia
Tue November 24 2015 - WOLVERHAMPTON Civic Hall
Sat December 05 2015 - MANCHESTER Store Street
Sun December 06 2015 - MANCHESTER Store Street
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