Recent New Order material has brought with it an array of new aspects to their songwriting which correspond to the current musical climate. This is all very well and good, but to diehard fans it's a bit of a disappointment - with Bernard and the boys constantly being snapped up by the likes of Primal Scream and the Chemical Brothers to guest on their creations, it's no surprise that, in the recent past, their sound has seemed a little too focused on what dance music fans and the popular press think they ought to sound like. So it's with a full heart that we can announce that this new album is very much about classic pop songwriting rather than any edgy, over-produced try-hard nonsense - from the lush strings of opening track Who's Joe?, to the familiar lifting, driving strains of Waiting For The Sirens' Call, via the electro-punky, simple and vibrant single Krafty, the atmospheric and shimmeringly-produced credible pop production is rooted firmly in place. Virtually all of the tracks on this new album are good - few will be disappointed by it, and the finger is still firmly enough on the pulse of what's being produced elsewhere to bring in new listeners. Musically, they've not sounded this good for decades - the only mistake they make is including bizarre cod-reggae offcut I Told You So on the album - while it's not a total stinker, it shares more in common with Candy Flip than it does the grand old Manchester musical tradition. Still, one bad song out of 11 isn't bad - and it doesn't detract from the overall high standard of the album. Recommended.