Finally bought Lost Sirens. Overall I like it...I wasn't expecting it to be a big departure from WFTSC as it was recorded round the same time, so I didn't look at it as a "new" album per se.
I'll Stay With You - One of the very best post 2000 New Order songs..truly great. moving lyrics and vocals from Bernard, lovely bass melodies from Hooky, some Smithsy guitar from Phil, lighting crack drumming from Steve, and nice, crisp electronics. Song has great melodies as well as some lovely guitar thrashing from Bernard that reminds me of Brotherhood.
Sugarcane - LOVE IT. Of course I also thought that Jetstream and Guilt Is a Useless Emotion were two of New Order best synth heavy dance tunes/pop singles. I love the throbbing, discoey synth bass line, the funky Chic esque guitars from Bernard and Phil, the four to the floor drums from Steve, and the interlocking piano and synth string parts, and the outro is great. The song is very bouncey and has a lot of Great energy, I think that had it been released as a single in 2006 to promote the new album, it would have been a hit, it brings to mine what Franz Ferdinand were doing round the same time. Great club song. Great vocals from Bernard and the lyrics have a nice, satiric edge about celebrity pop culture..."it's just another day in the life of a superstar," Sumner sings breezily. I love the outro tooooo is Hooky even on this song?
Hellbent - I've always loved this song since I heard the Total Mix. This Mix is a bit rawer, but I like that you can hear the synths a bit more. I love Hellbent, I love the soaring, uplifting chorus melodies, the interplay between the guitar and the synths, Hooky's bass runs, Steve's bouncey drums and programming, the instrumental climax of the song. I love the the lyrics as well, smart, thought out lyrics. Bernard really went to town with the keyboard work on this tune.
"You're the star in the scene, you're not just anybody. There's a light in your eyes that I can't seem to reach. Over here in the sky, is is shining on me? We have hope in hearts, and dreams in our heads, but most of the time we stay in our beds. If you go out there, just up the hall, it's a cold, cruel world outside that door."
One of my favorite Bernard Lyrics for sure.
Californian Grass - Love the intro, swirling strings and guitars, great mix of electronics and acoustics. Bernard sounds great singing in his lower register, the synths on the verses are great, and Hooky sounds good on the low bass. The whole song is very, very Techniquey, kind of melancholy. I love the chorus lyrics, "For a few dollars more." Nice Sergio Leone reference! Great guitar break in the middle of the song, reminds me of Neil Young, which I can totally dig. I like the squiggly synths at the end.
Recoil - Love it. Really dark and moody songs, brings to mind Ruined in a Day and setting suns. Really niece melodic bass work from Hooky, nice interplay between Bernard and Hooky's guitars.
I've Got a Feeling - One of the very best post 2000 songs. A really beautiful, sad, well written song. I cannot help but think that Bernard wrote these lyrics about Hooky while he was still in the band. A moving song about the death of a friendship.
Shake It Up - This song is delightfully bonkers! I love the fat staccato synth bass, the mix of arpeggiated synths and funky wah wah guitars, the Confusion-eque percussion and backing vocals, the song is a lot of fun and it sounds like the band had fun making it. The chorus is a bit weak though.
I Told You So - I liked the version on WFTSC (I must be the only one) and this version is excellent...very Velvet Underground and icy, I dig it.
Overall, for what it is, I think Lost Sirens is pretty good. It has 4 songs that I think are among the best of New Order's later work (Sugarcane, Hellbent, I'll Stay With You, I've Got a Feeling) and the songs have a loose, funky, fun, weird energy that was missing for WFTSC. I think it would have been the basis if an excellent 2006/2007 New Order album, with Sugarcane and Hellbent as lead singles. I like the raw production qualities of these tunes as well.
I wouldn't mind hearing Hellbent and Sugarcane played by the current line up.
A nice curiosity...hopefully now New Order will make some new music.
Zachery Allan Starkey
Edited by user 25 January 2013 14:42:39(UTC)
| Reason: Not specified