NEW LP
New sealed copy. 2025 reissue of the 2015 remaster.
Low-Life is the third studio album by New Order, released on May 13, 1985, through Factory Records. Marking a crucial point in the band’s evolution, it captures the moment they fully transitioned from their post-punk origins into a confident fusion of electronic and rock music. Produced with a meticulous balance of sequencers, live instruments, and melody, Low-Life saw New Order refine their sound into something both cerebral and danceable—bridging the intensity of Joy Division with the pulsing energy of the emerging electronic underground.
The album opens with “Love Vigilantes,” a strikingly melodic antiwar ballad that introduced a more human and narrative approach to Bernard Sumner’s songwriting. Elsewhere, tracks such as “The Perfect Kiss” and “Sub-culture” channel the rhythmic precision of synthesizers and drum machines into vivid, propulsive pop structures, while “Elegia” and “Sunrise” reveal the band’s enduring post-punk tension. This balance of emotional detachment and rhythmic immediacy became a defining element of their sound, influencing the direction of alternative and electronic music in the years that followed.
Low-Life was also notable for its artwork—a departure from Peter Saville’s abstract concepts in favor of Polaroid-style portraits of the band, signaling a more direct connection with their audience. Critically acclaimed upon release, it has since been recognized as one of New Order’s strongest and most cohesive albums. Publications including AllMusic, Uncut, and The A.V. Club have praised its seamless integration of guitars and synthesizers, while Q and 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die have ranked it among the greatest British records of all time.
TRACKLIST:
A1 Love Vigilantes
A2 The Perfect Kiss
A3 This Time Of Night
A4 Sunrise
B1 Elegia
B2 Sooner Than You Think
B3 Sub-Culture
B4 Face Up
