Following the release of Brotherhood, New Order released the compilation album Substance, with single True Faith reaching fourth in the singles chart, before moving to Ibiza to start recording their fifth album, Technique. It shouldn't thus be surprising that the album is influenced by the house music the island is renowned for, giving the band a fresh updated sound.
They had accidentally created the 1990s in 1988. The synths were now in control of the band's music - Peter Hook's bass is less prominent than before, and the music can feel more robotic at times than before - but it results in a brilliant record. Most critics consider it their finest; I think it's one of their best, for sure, up there with Power and Low-life.
The artwork feels both modern and dated, which is impressive. The gradients remind me of WordArt, in a good way, whilst the colours are certainly more attractive than the dull blues and greys which dominated their previous albums. Indeed, from here on in, the cover art becomes more colourful. It's not my favourite artwork by the band, but it's certainly an upgrade over Brotherhood's.
And it's the same with the music. Fine Time is a lovely little opener which sees Gilbert's keyboard playing shine. It's distinctively New Order, but some small features, like Sumner's effect-laced vocals and energetic synth rhythms, help make it a distinct track. There are drawbacks - Sumner clearly wanted to sound sensual to match the lyrics, but this doesn't work too well, and I don't like the sampled voice which tries the same and comes off weirdly. But it's an infectious song regardless. That's not mentioning the occasional bass which rises to the surface, or the bleating sheep (which the band intended as a joke). It sounds like a song the band were destined to make.
All the Way is more Low-life-esque. Sumner's vocals are more typical and work far better, and Hook's bass is more prominent thankfully. The synthline in the chorus is hard to not smile to, and there's even a brief guitar solo before the bridge. Yes, it follows more closely with the band's previous work than Fine Time does, but it's a great song nonetheless.
I wish Love Less went on for longer. At just three minutes, it's the most downbeat so far of all the tracks. It's anchored by a strong bass and pessimistic lyrics about being unappreciated in a relationship, the guitar more jangly than punk. It's simple, but wonderful regardless.
Round and Round picks up the manic pace again, with dynamic drumming and more effects on Sumner's vocals. The guitars don't take a lead, but when they emerge, they're good regardless. The focus is on the synths which relentlessly pull you through the song, and which perhaps best display the Ibiza-influence, and the outro especially is unlike anything the band had ever done, as it rises before crashing down into Guilty Partner.
We're back to mainly rock here. There's the catchy bassline, the metronomic drumming, the yearning vocals coupled with a prominent chorus about a...guilty partner. It reminds me of Love Less in this regard, though now it has a proper outro with a lovely guitar solo and slowly rising synths which bring Side 1 to an end. I can't really pick a weak point in the album so far - each track offers something different, and does it effectively.
Onto Side 2 then, which opens with Run. It's more laidback, an elegant track with a nice fuzzy guitar which John Denver thought was too similar (he's credited as a writer as a result) and some melancholic synths, capped off with a great crescendoed outro. Other than that, it's more typical of what you'd expect from the band. The next track, Mr Disco, suggests it will sound anything but that.
And right from the opening synth progression, it's obviously disco-esque. The chorus is quite sweet, especially with Sumner's innocent-sounding vocals and lyrics for this sappy love song. The bass is more hidden in the mix, whilst the drumming gives it a fast pulse. It's an improvement over Round and Round, though I certainly wouldn't have ended the song like it did - at least give it a proper outro, maybe put in a solo by Hook.
The two longest songs close out the album. First up is Vanishing Point, which leads off from Mr Disco's sound quite nicely. It's very catchy yet pensive-sounding, thanks to the bass and brooding synths. The chorus is fantastic, even if the lyrics aren't. And when the music kicks back in for the outro, it's euphoric - certainly a highlight of the album.
Dream Attack is more indie-sounding, with Hook's throbbing bass and a bright guitar at the forefront. There's a nice keyboard riff by Gilbert, and the chorus is similarly catchy. And of course the outro is brilliant too, as the guitar gets that bit more noisy and the same few notes are played repeatedly - for a danceable two minute instrumental. Certainly a highlight of the album. And that's that for the album, Side 2 winning out in the end thanks to those two songs.
Technique is certainly a great album, a sign of how much New Order had evolved their sound since the days of Movement. Unlike some bands, including Joy Division, they just wanted to have some fun, and it shows in most of the tracks. It's definitely the pinnacle of the band's evolution in sound, even if not necessarily the best in their discography - I like their post-punk efforts too much - and altogether, it's a pleasant forty minutes that goes by too quickly. I had a Fine Time listening for sure.
I can't wait for what they'll release in the 1990s...
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