Brotherhood is stylistically a transition album. It's split equally between a post-punk Side A and electronic Side B, it lies between two albums which are far more recognised by critics, and even its cover is a mixture.
Specifically, it's a titanium-zinc alloy - deliberately minimalist and a stark difference to Low-life, which put the band members on display. It's not the most thrilling artwork, and stands alongside their 2013 album Lost Sirens and its colour grid as their least captivating. Still, it does reflect how varied this record can be at times, easily forgotten considering Technique was just round the corner.
But the music is the most important, and this time there are more than eight songs to enjoy. The first is Paradise, a catchy number driven by Morris' metronomic drumming and Sumner's swooning vocals. It's love song with cryptic lyrics towards a Jolene that at times comes off as unsettling, and coupled with the music makes it sound like a darker outtake from Low-life, in the vain of This Time of Night. It's not the strongest opener in my opinion, lacking some much needed energy that other openers like Age of Consent had - but it's far from a let down, merely pleasant.
Weirdo has that energy instead, a punk-like track with Hook's bass prominent throughout this cheerful song. The lyrics could be seen as either a sweet tribute to a love interest, and that's in part due to Sumner's stronger vocals. There's a lovely guitar solo towards the end, and Morris' drumming maintains the energy from the start, never breaking a sweat. The outro is a minute long and concludes a great song by the band. I'm somewhat ashamed I haven't regularly listened to it myself.
The more acoustic As It Is When It Was follows, and we're into the realm of slow-moving ballads. At least it's like that, until the chorus comes in and it gets more energetic - the guitar even screeches a bit. That's also how the song ends, with the buildup only making the outro more rewarding. Compared to Weirdo, though, it feels more like a slog, and it feels the least satisfying of all the tracks so far.
Broken Promise is much like Weirdo from the offset - the delightful interplay of guitar and bass, the clinical drumming, the vaguely romantic lyrics - and is similarly solid. The guitar goes haywire towards the end, though, with another great solo, before all comes to an end. If anything, it's much more sombre, and is perhaps another way how this album continues to vary - from soft to rough in one track; Low-life was more uniform in comparison.
A short drone kicks off Way of Life, which is like if Joy Division made more pop, what with that strong bass and gritty mood. It's a great song which maintains the solos whilst showcasing just how lovely Sumner can sing. And as the bass closes out the song, so does Side A. It's more like Power, Corruption and Lies than anything, and if anything remains consistently good - never dragging on, and mixing the gloom with some vibrancy.
Everyone loves Bizarre Love Triangle - many critics call it New Order's best song, it's reguarly performed live, and it was a hit single. So maybe it's a surprise it's halfway through their least regarded 80s album.
But from the opening synth notes and beat of the drum machine, it's hard to not find it enjoyable. It's the electronic side! The slow pace and melancholic bass makes a song that's a club hit sound bleak, and the violins only intensify that. It's altogether quite brooding and Sumner's yearning vocals make the song even better. Hook's closing solo and the choir-like synthesized voices perfect it. What a way to open a side; perhaps the best song on Brotherhood.
All Day Long is gentler, with those electronic bells and violins sweetening it - even with sudden bursts of guitar noise. So it came as a surprise to finally read the lyrics and see they're about the death of a child. That makes the song more poignant now, and listening to it for the review, the innocence of the music and the upfront words is quite sorrowful. The outro is also more beautiful in retrospect, especially how all the parts come together for the last minute. It's a stunning run of songs to open the side, and shows a more serious side to the band too.
Angel Dust is another great song, one that's more immediately danceable with an irresistible rhythm. It would be hard to top the other two tracks, but it still stands well in its own right - and the violin featured isn't synthesised either. There's another powerful solo by the end as it becomes more menacing, thus filling the dance aspect with loads of noise.
Every Little Counts is the only scratch in this brilliant run. Sumner even giggles due to the inanity of his lyrics, which are this time about a real love - not tainted by violence or want of possession. This charming little track slowly crescendoes amongst violins and swirls into something psychedelic, and it is quite beautiful and intricate. But then the weirdness wins over and it melts into a cacophony of noise. This little section was influenced by loops on run off grooves à là The Beatles' A Day in the Life, but (on the CD at least) it ends with some more weirdness. I like the experimental aspect of this ending, and the weird sound spiral is pretty, but it does make the ending unsatisfying. Some pressings of Brotherhood have the single State of the Nation as the final song, and it's a far better closer, what with its catchy disco feel and guitar riffs. But the original release ended here, and so shall I.
Like the lyric on As It Is When It Was, the tracks on this album "get along like a house on fire" - the mix of noise, dance, joy and sorrow makes Brotherhood a unique, if not slightly disregarded, album by New Order. It's also quite great, even if Side B is better by quite a margin. Still, it's not one I regret listening to. From here, it only gets more catchy.
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