New Order Album Proves Enduring Relevance By Jonathan Cohen
Pioneering U.K. electro/rock outfit New Order broke an eight-year silence with the well-received 2001 set "Get Ready," but that didn't make the prospect of writing material for the follow-up any easier.
In fact, according to bassist Peter Hook, "we sat down with absolutely nothing. The funny thing is, after all these years of doing it and knowing you have the ability, it shouldn't really frighten you, but it's quite daunting. You just sort of live in hope that each time you'll be able to do it."
From those humble beginnings came "Waiting for the Sirens' Call," released April 26 in North America through Warner Bros. The set hit international retail and download services March 28, enjoying strong debuts in Japan (No. 3 on the country's international chart) and the United Kingdom (No. 5).
Hook -- who is joined in the band by vocalist/guitarist Bernard Sumner, drummer Stephen Morris and new guitarist Phil Cunningham -- is the first to admit that the album simply updates New Order's classic sound with a modern production sensibility and a dash more guitar than would have been utilized in the 1980s.
But at a time when bands like Franz Ferdinand, the Killers and Interpol are revealing huge sonic debts to New Order (and its previous incarnation, Joy Division), "Sirens' Call" is a potent reminder of how artistically valid the group remains.
That validity is underlined on second U.K. single "Jetstream," which features a vocal by Scissor Sisters' Ana Matronic.
The band's enduring influence was celebrated at February's NME Awards, where it was honored with the Godlike Genius trophy.
Hook is thrilled New Order is still making music that inspires its members, much less a new generation of listeners. "To me, the music has never evolved from Joy Division, because it feels the same," he says. "Every song feels like a challenge, and it's wonderful when you get to the end of it and you've pulled it off."
The group is supporting "Waiting for the Siren's Call" with several international appearances. In the United States, the group commanded a May 1 slot at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., and is playing one-offs in Oakland, Calif.; Chicago; and New York. The band will spend the summer playing major festivals in about a dozen European markets and will perform at Japan's Fuji Rock Festival in late July.
