New Order - the return of the Manc legends

‘No More Heroes’, The Stranglers; no icons, no idols, no screen legends/Goddesses, claimed Lauren Bacall. “Ignore False Idols!” warn Gorillaz.

This is the kind of mood New Order’s single ‘Krafty’ settled us with. Not only because its spirit but because these Mancs could well be the last ‘heroes’ of them all… [Manics would love to be but are handicapped by their arrogance, Primal Scream could have been but experimented with stoner-aura once too often…] Not that they look it, all getting the middle-age spreads and ‘snow’ covering tresses…

Well, New Order were never image fuct about but always focused on music, this time as it used to be: although not wallowing in nostalgia, these is almost NO from a bygone age. Youthful sounding but backed with experience, punchy and yet economical, bristly but radio friendly. Mechanical drum sound in unison with Hooky’s bass plugs into one’s nerve-endings and is complimented with a catchy phrase playing around Bernie Sumner’s familiar vocal delivery.

Some would argue that this is a tad of a disappointing pick because it feels ‘safe’ and easily recognizable. One suspects it to be the record company’s choice, a re-introduction of the band to new listeners who might be of ‘softer’ [i.e. more mainstream] disposition… Thus, ‘Krafty’ doesn’t surge forward as much as one would expect them to by the standard they set previously. The next single is supposed to be a track with Ana Mantronix of Scissor Sisters guesting - ‘Jet Stream’.

NO, the co-creators of what Moby likes to call ‘Cold Wave’ still deliver goodies if there was any doubt. We could only be happier if Gillian were still a member if nowt else but ocular gratification…

8/10