New Order - Low-Life - LP

After Power, Corruption & Lies and "Blue Monday" propelled New Order to prominence, Low-Life took the quartet a step further in terms of accessibility. From the 1-2 punch of opening tracks "Love Vigilantes" and "The Perfect Kiss," the 1985 collection neatly straddles the urgent rock of the band's Joy Division roots and the synth-driven dance grooves for which they'd become more closely identified. As catchy as the album is, it's also filled with strange beauty (the instrumental "Elegia") and, thanks to Bernard Sumner's plaintive vocals and Peter Hook's melodic bass work, plenty of soul. A high-water mark for many fans, Low-Life encapsulates everything that's great about New Order.