Sit tight, its been a long time coming but true to my word I have waited until the offical release before posting my review of Waiting For The Sirens Call.
Its more than slightly biased but regardless enjoy :)
1. Hey Joe
From the start of this album we are given a glint of New Orders ability to mesh technology and traditional guitars, take the essence of brotherhood and add lashings of technique with the exploration of PC&L and the lyrical pleading of lowlife and the siren answers your call. The scene is set, this is a fans review don’t expect scathing criticism and moaning, the review is positive and the album is a treat.
It took me a long while to understand the meaning and hook to this track, when it finally struck home it wasn’t so much of a shock, more a familiar fondness of rekindling of musical friendship which had lain dormant for far too long. GrrReady touched fringes of NO’s power but right from the off Hey Joe has a deeper quality that only matures with each listen.
2. Hey Now What You Doing?
A rampant intro, slashing guitars, Barneys instant rebuke of someone gone off the rails reminiscent of Close Range this instantly pulls you into a familiar sonic enclosure bringing an unnerving brittleness of Barneys urging you not to “go down that road to ruin” and willing you to “hold your head up high” There is so much going on musically in this track that it demands consistent repeat plays just to appreciate the intricacies of Hooky’s wonderfully strung out bass patterns which seem to melt into each other and Phil having the time of his life dropping in and out of melodies with carefree abandon. This is New Order being… well New Order and it’s irresistible.
3. Waiting For The Sirens Call
Now we are getting serious. New Order don’t name tracks after album titles, well not up until now anyway, this has broke the mould, and it had better be up to the job… Well we can breathe a sigh of relief, it is! And so much more, effortlessly it sails along (no other word is really befitting for this track) Out of all the tracks on the album Barney sounds and his most sincere here, forget the countless criticisms of shallow “nursery rhyme” lyrics just enjoy the words and encompass the determination to make you believe that these lyrics directly affect you and like all great singers make you believe this is a song sung personally for each listener. An uncannily familiar synth appears 3mins 20secs into this track and just as you are pondering where you heard it before Hooky’s bass is bought to the front and the song is taken to a new level. Being knocked off course like this usually disrupts the flow and fluidity of a song but with New Order it is what you want, expect and need to fulfil the requirements of a song by this band that don’t play by the rules and never have. “I will desert you, I don’t know what to say” here we go again with a bittersweet pill we are constantly reminded must be swallowed in relationships, the last verse could go on forever as it peels away at the layers of the listeners conscience dragging up emotions at will and in a smothering yet endearing way. But almost as surreptitiously as the song begins so it ends.
4. Krafty
The first single off the album, an obvious choice as it is a track designed to hit you with its catchiness from its very first listen. Beautifully hurting lyrics veering towards the point of forlorn distraction just when you thought it was all to depressing Barney reassures us that “outside the world is a beautiful place, with mountains lakes and the human race” Almost desperately asking for that one last chance the realisation shakes your soul that this is a love song built on that foundation of never quite knowing what life will throw at you and grasping the opportunity to make of it what you can while you have the chance “ If I could change your mind, I’d never let you go” Krafting into words with effortless ease the realisation that it seems that the battle has been lost in a relationship destined not be; this song is another epic encounter flirting with genius.
5. I Told You So
A laconic style which many fans have grown used to over the years is put to a somewhat unusual use in this slower tempo number. It oozes experience, “it’s a crazy world, for a mixed up guy and an awkward girl” They can afford to experiment like this, after all why not? they have been there got the t-shirt and its now being used as a duster to clean their godlike genius award. A good remix candidate this track lends its self to remixing as it is a stripped down dub induced funky number taking the listener to a direction far away from what they are used to. Still the object is the same and once again the investigation into relationships is scrutinised with consummate ease.
6. Morning Night And Day
The opening bars are reminiscent of a pounding techno bass track, soon however we are in familiar territory, Barney takes the subject matter by the throat in the first verse, or should that be by the bottle! The alcoholic theme is accurately portrayed, many have been there, Barney more than most or so it seems by the conviction yet seeming resignation in which he delivers each line about an alcoholic’s helter skelter lifestyle Hooky gets his customary bass solo and Phil gets to wah wah to his hearts content with Steve keeping the whole track bounding along.
Genius in a bottle, to be taken morning night and day.
7. Dracula’s Castle
A swirly intro has more than a hint of technique about it, with a smattering of what they were trying to achieve on Republic side B but never achieved. I have never been a fan of backing vocals on New Order tracks but the title of this song cries out for some ghostly goings on, and so it’s delivered with some well placed “oooh’s” There is a desperate inevitability about Barney clawing away a lost lover “so goodbye love, you were not real” cuts as deep as it did in 1985 during the imperious Lowlife The piano at the end are almost a resignation of defeat at losing love to a seemingly malevolent force. Dark, broody, full of intent and with an infectious bite.
8. Jet Stream
Grit your teeth and buckle up for the ride, this is New Order but not as you are used to! From the opening intro of whistling and finger tapping you are intrigued, and then catapulted literally into a head swaying world of warm embracing pop.
Anna provides a vital yet gorgeous counter balance to Barneys intense delivery which is no more evident than when he half whispers “you are no good for me” the female backing vocals add softness to an otherwise predictable Barney rant, but don’t be afraid to enjoy this track, its sugary yes but sweets are often considered a treat and this is no exception.
9. Guilt Is A Useless Emotion
A throbbing heartbeat really prepares you for this hi-nrg dance fest. This without doubt is New Order doing a Pet Shop Boys song, or well at least trying to…. I have great admiration for Neil Tennant’s lyric writing and although the music is bang on Barney does not extract the beauty of the English language in the effortless way that Neil does and this track suffers partly from being an instrumental lightly covered in lyrics. This does not however detract from what is a glorious celebration of proof that New Order can lift the curtain of melancholy and produce “up” music
10. Turn
Here we go, having arrived at one of the finest pieces of music produced by the band in their history it’s almost impossible to know where to begin when reviewing it.
From the first strains of the intro you know that this is as utterly far away from the previous track on the album as you could possibly get.
The guitars come crashing in a crescendo of beauty which can barely be explained or given justice here, it’s akin to Electronic and New Order having finally met in the middle, the middle being that rare place called perfection. But this is New Order and classic New Order, a cliché I know but without doubt an undeniably true statement. Hooky happily ambles along throughout while Barney must have known that he had written some special lyrics here as his delivery is exemplary “what do you want me to do, take it all away from you” sums up the hurt, pain and desperation which the shunned party is feeling Echo’s again of the power that the band had demonstrated during Lowlife and Technique the lyrics here are emotive, moving and as close to New Order perfection as we are likely to get. And is if that is not good enough Hooky treats us to a crowd pleasing solo before Barney pleads again to be left alone to lick his wounds from another desperately failing relationship. Truly majestic and an instant classic.
11. Working Overtime
Many may have expected a slow wind down at the end of this album, similar perhaps to their last two albums (Avalanche and Run Wild) Well.. No way! A bustling driven end to an album which has taken you on a journey of despair, hope, anger, pity, elation and realisation is what you get. A great way to end a set let alone an album this track has been compared to the Stooges and Sister Ray, its not hard to hear why, this is laden with guitars and is all about the instruments taking centre stage in this mini epic. The lyrics roll along rhyming dutifully but never really overpowering the music which is the main event here as this song pushes its way down a musical path and refuses to stop until the last drop of potential has been squeezed from the guitars.
The siren had better answer the call because the New Order is rocking and they show no sign of stopping!
Nice work, DoN. Spot on 
CTB
