ARTIST:
NEW ORDER


ALBUM:
POWER, CORRUPTION, & LIES


KEY TRACKS:  
AGE OF CONSENT
LEAVE ME ALONE
BLUE MONDAY



"I'm not the kind that likes to tell you just what you want me to"
Ah the 80s!  A time is distinct and unique as Crystal Pepsi (ok that was the early 90's but who cares!)!  This album was very much ahead of its time.  Released in 1983, New Order's Power, Corruption, & Lies sounds very much what is trending in current music.  It's no secret that 80's like sounds and beats are being heavily sampled by acts like Washed Out, LESANDS, The Drums, and even M83.  The 80's are back and it's not only evident in music, it's in fashion, makeup, even advertising.  There is an overall appreciation for regression not just to all things 80's but to that oh-so-fashionable word "vintage".

So why this need to go back to a different time?  Perhaps it's the recession?  Maybe people want to think of a time when gas wasn't $4+ and terms like "global warming", "war on terror", and "economic depression" were unheard of.  Maybe musicians are catching on to the importance of history and that timeless idea that you can't move forward until you know where you've been.  That's why New Order is an important band for me.  

I was first introduced to these English rockers on the Marie Antoinette soundtrack, which if you haven't heard I highly HIGHLY recommend.  Their single, "Ceremony" was used both in the film and for the previews as well.  It's interesting that this was the first track I heard from this band because this was an effort by New Order's earlier incarnation Joy Division.  However it was released under the new moniker and still remains to this day one of the most celebrated and recognizable tracks.  However, Power, Corruption, & Lies is a first listen of the rest of New Order's catalogue.

The album's opener Age of Consent is a firecracker of a start.  The guitar riff alone is a triumph.  the track steadily builds on that guitar riff to drums, vocals, and of course a bit of synth.  But fortunately it's just enough synth to keep this track timeless and not in the dated realm of the 80's.  

Of course there are some tracks on here that do fall prey to that categorization, however there are other tracks that are still memorable even today.  Case in point is Blue Monday.  I'm really embarrassed to admit that the first time I heard this track was from some shitty 90's band called Orgy.  What's worse is that I liked the song and didn't even realize it was a cover. Now, I'm enlightened.   Blue Monday has one of the most iconic kick drum beats in the history of music.  Trust me, you'll recognize it.  This is certainly a landmark of a track, not just for the 80's, but for music as a whole.  At over 7 minutes long, this track is a massive statement.  

Lastly, I've really fallen hard for the closing track.  It's a really nice way to end the album, and strategic, because it leaves you wanting more.  Sometimes artists drag out end tracks making the listener antsy.  I sometimes even find myself thinking "Jesus, is it over yet?!"  I don't get that sense from this album, or this ending track.  This track is New Order doing what they do best, solid guitar riffs with just enough electronics.  It's a perfect mix.  A perfect mix that not all 80's bands - or Crystal Pepsi - could sustain to survive their era.  

LISTEN:  AGE OF CONSENT  |  LEAVE ME ALONE  |  BLUE MONDAY

NEXT WEEK:  LESANDS  |  SWEET SKIN