Bad Lieutenant
Never Cry Another Tear

Two years after the disbandment of New Order, the long story that began with Joy Division now continues with this band, whose majestic name was chosen in homage to the cult film "Bad Lieutenant" (with Harvey Keitel). It's likely there will be no posthumous reunion of New Order. This time Peter Hook has really crossed the line, and the other band members have had enough. The group's name will not appear in any new production because Hooky holds a third of the rights, and the legal hassles (even though Hook and Sumner ended up in court over a decade ago) are not liked by anyone. Back to the present: having closed the Electronic chapter years ago, Bernard Albrecht (known as Sumner) has created a rather expanded trio, which includes himself, Phil Cunningham (the latest addition to New Order), and Jake Evans: three guitars and two voices alternating between tracks. The drummer is Stephen Morris (from New Order, will go on tour but is not an official member of the group), the bassist is Alex James from Blur (but will not be on tour).

The result is an album whose beginning smells of Manchester in every groove (yes, in the super deluxe edition, there's even the double vinyl, if anyone cares). Ten tracks that mostly remember the absence of the most influential bassist of the last thirty years of English pop, Hooky. The bass is only touched upon, hovering in memory of what was and is now evoked by the three guitars. Ten tracks with a very enjoyable beginning: "Sink Or Swim", "Twist Of Fate", "Summer Days On Holiday", and "This Is Home" represent the freshest opening in Sumner's records outside the New Order mania. The remaining six tracks do not emit the same scent and, after the first two or three listens, move into the "meh..." section. It closes with the final ballad, which leaves no regrets.

It is catchy and decidedly "radio" pop, which in England will stir those ashes of fans scattered on the Oasis-orphaned comet. It resembles the latest works of Electronic's "Twisted Tenderness" and, paradoxically, recalls the initial impact of Peter Hook's Monaco, especially with "Sink Or Swim", the single already circulating. The album releases on October 5th in the UK. As a die-hard fan of New Order, I remember having deeply loved at least half of their production, illuminated by milestones ("Blue Monday") and dotted here and there with incomprehensible steps ("Run"), as well as having witnessed in Turin some years ago the performance of a band capable of doing great things despite the evident fatigue and the barely concealed irritability between Sumner and Hook, on the brink of conflict every five minutes for over ten years. The moral in this case is: "Come home, Petey!". He won't return, despite my pleas.