Description
New Order – Brotherhood – 180 Gram Vinyl Record
Peter Hook: “Listen to it and you can hear it has two different sides. There were battles raging on Brotherhood.”
Bernard Sumner: “We’d always had that balance of electronics and band stuff. I was always pushing for electronics, and Hooky was always pushing for the band stuff, which was fair enough, I think we needed the band stuff. And by luck it got tipped the band way on Brotherhood. It was a very dense album, because we’d gone a bit mad on overdubs, so it was very layered, and very dense.”
New Order’s Brotherhood (1986) is the band’s fourth studio album and represents a significant step in their evolution, blending the post-punk roots of their early work with the more electronic, synth-pop sound that would come to define their later career. After emerging from the ashes of Joy Division, New Order carved out a unique space for themselves in the 1980s, and Brotherhood is a key moment in that transformation, balancing guitars and electronic textures in a seamless fusion of rock and dance music.
The album showcases Bernard Sumner’s introspective lyrics and distinctive vocal delivery, as well as Peter Hook’s iconic melodic basslines, Stephen Morris’s driving rhythms, and Gillian Gilbert’s atmospheric synth work. It features some of the band’s most well-known tracks, including the hit single “Bizarre Love Triangle,” which remains one of their most enduring songs.
One of the defining features of Brotherhood is its seamless blend of guitar-based post-punk with the electronic elements that New Order had been increasingly incorporating into their music. The album is essentially split between two halves: the first half leans more towards a guitar-driven rock sound, while the second half introduces more prominent use of synthesizers and drum machines, creating a balance between organic and electronic textures.
Building on the success of earlier tracks like “Blue Monday”, New Order continued to explore dance music’s influence on their sound. Songs like “Bizarre Love Triangle” are built on infectious, danceable rhythms and catchy synth lines, foreshadowing the rise of electronic music in the 1990s.
Peter Hook’s melodic bass playing is a key element of New Order’s sound, and on Brotherhood, his bass lines provide both rhythm and melody, often acting as the driving force behind the songs. Tracks like “Weirdo” and “As It Is When It Was” showcase Hook’s distinctive playing style, which adds emotional depth to the band’s music.
Key Tracks
“Bizarre Love Triangle”: Arguably the most famous track from the album, “Bizarre Love Triangle” is a quintessential New Order song, blending infectious dance rhythms with melancholic lyrics. The song’s bright, uplifting synth melodies contrast with Sumner’s introspective, emotionally detached lyrics about the complexities of relationships. It has become one of New Order’s signature tracks and a staple of 80s synth-pop.
“Paradise”: The album opens with “Paradise,” a song that fuses rock elements with electronic beats, featuring Hook’s prominent bass line and Sumner’s understated vocals. The track sets the tone for the album’s blend of guitars and electronics, capturing the balance between New Order’s post-punk past and their synth-driven future.
“Weirdo”: This track leans more into the band’s post-punk roots, with its prominent guitar riffs and driving bass line. “Weirdo” has an upbeat, energetic feel, with Sumner’s lyrics exploring themes of uncertainty and self-doubt, delivered in his trademark nonchalant style.
“All Day Long”: A more atmospheric and brooding track, “All Day Long” showcases the band’s ability to create mood through synthesizers and electronic textures. The song’s dark, haunting feel is underpinned by a pulsating rhythm and layered synths, creating a sense of tension and melancholy.
“Angel Dust”: One of the more experimental tracks on the album, “Angel Dust” blends a frenetic electronic beat with jagged guitar riffs and disorienting synth effects. The song is driven by its chaotic energy, with Hook’s bass line anchoring the track amid the swirling electronics.
“As It Is When It Was”: This track brings together jangly guitars and a wistful melody, with Sumner delivering emotionally reflective lyrics. The song has a bittersweet feel, with the guitar work evoking the band’s early post-punk sound.
Like much of New Order’s work, Brotherhood is filled with themes of emotional alienation, melancholy, and introspection. Sumner’s lyrics often deal with feelings of uncertainty and detachment, whether in relationships or in the broader sense of personal identity. This emotional distance is contrasted by the upbeat, danceable nature of the music, creating a tension between the lyrics and the sound. Many of the songs on Brotherhood deal with the complexities of relationships, a recurring theme in New Order’s music. In “Bizarre Love Triangle,” for example, the lyrics reflect the confusion and frustration of being caught in an emotionally tangled situation, while tracks like “As It Is When It Was” explore themes of regret and longing.
The album’s musical themes reflect a blurring of organic and synthetic elements, with the band seamlessly fusing human emotions and mechanical rhythms. This fusion of rock instruments with electronic production techniques mirrors the lyrical themes of duality and contradiction.
Sumner’s vocal delivery on Brotherhood is understated and emotionally restrained, which fits the detached, introspective nature of the lyrics. His guitar playing, especially on tracks like “Weirdo” and “As It Is When It Was,” evokes the jangly, post-punk sound that New Order inherited from Joy Division. Hook’s bass playing is one of the defining elements of the album. His melodic, often high-register bass lines provide a distinctive counterpoint to the more rhythm-based elements of the music. His playing on tracks like “Paradise” and “Weirdo” drives the songs and adds a layer of emotional complexity.
Gilbert’s synthesizer work adds depth and atmosphere to the album, particularly on tracks like “Bizarre Love Triangle” and “All Day Long.” Her use of electronic textures helps to create the lush, layered soundscapes that define the album’s more synth-driven moments. Morris’s drumming is a key component of the band’s fusion of rock and electronic music. He combines live drumming with electronic drum machines, creating a hybrid sound that underpins much of the album. His precise, mechanical rhythms add a sense of urgency to tracks like “Angel Dust” and “Broken Promise.”
Brotherhood helped solidify New Order’s status as one of the pioneers of the fusion between post-punk and dance music. By balancing guitar-driven tracks with synth-heavy, danceable songs, the album bridges the gap between their post-punk roots and their emerging role in the electronic music scene of the late 1980s.
“Bizarre Love Triangle” has become one of New Order’s most recognizable and influential songs. Its infectious melody, catchy chorus, and upbeat rhythm helped the band gain a broader audience and cemented their place in 80s pop culture. The song continues to be covered and referenced by artists in various genres, reflecting its lasting impact.
The sound New Order developed on Brotherhood would go on to influence a wide range of artists in both the indie rock and electronic music worlds. Bands like The Killers, LCD Soundsystem, and Cut Copy have cited New Order as a key influence, particularly in their ability to merge live instruments with electronic production.
Brotherhood by New Order is a pivotal album that captures the band at the crossroads of their post-punk past and their increasingly electronic future. With its balance of guitar-driven tracks and synth-heavy dance songs, the album showcases the band’s versatility and their ability to blend seemingly disparate genres. Featuring one of their most iconic songs, “Bizarre Love Triangle,” Brotherhood remains a key album in the evolution of 80s music, influencing both the indie rock and electronic scenes. Its emotional depth, combined with infectious rhythms and melodic basslines, has ensured its place as a classic in New Order’s discography.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Paradise
Weirdo
As It Is When It Was
Broken Promise
Way Of Life
Bizarre Love Triangle
All Day Long
Angel Dust
Every Little Counts