Singles

iTunes Review

Among the glut of New Order compendiums, Singles stands out. From their earliest post-Joy Division cuts to their liberating grasp of dance music and their endless redefinitions of it (a “Wooo!” on the fade of “Everything’s Gone Green” feels like a summing up of the story), these two CDs clock the changes of a serious, wry, joyous band. Their adeptness at both floor-fillers and Velvet Underground-informed rock has made for a new kind of anthem, one that resonates through “Blue Monday” and “Bizarre Love Triangle,” “Rock the Shack” and “Crystal.” Bernard Sumner’s sometimes (unfairly) maligned words deepen New Order’s meanings with their thoughtful dissections of romance, and witty cuts at same. Like the earlier Substance, this set gives a different view than the one that evolves through listening to the studio albums. But its insistence on New Order as short-form masters paints a ravishing picture.