Movement

Movement is the sound of New Order searching for their own musical path after the suicide of Ian Curtis signaled the end of Joy Division. The album paints an extremely vivid picture that the band was struggling to find their own identity. The ghost of Ian Curtis hangs over each song like decaying bark. For starters, Bernard Sumner affects such a deep croon that it could be seen as an attempt to mimic the sad and somber vocal style of Curtis. When his vocals aren't deep enough, producer Martin Hannett steps in with a sound processor, and one is left with the unsettling notion that the band is treading on ground that almost smells of exploitation. Movement's music is strangely non-energized. The sound experimentation of Joy Division, much of it courtesy of Hannett, is everywhere. Tribal beats mar much of the album, as they relentlessly arise on nearly every song. Etched sound effects and weird tweaked and warped synth washes rise and bubble throughout. But what worked beautifully with Curtis at the creative helm barely gets New Order off the launch pad. Only "Dreams Never End," "Denial," and "Truth" represent the lighter sides of the band that would form over later albums. "Dreams Never End" is endlessly fascinating; it might have been a perfect B-side to Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" in an alternate reality. "Truth" shows postmodern hints not dissimilar to "Blue Monday," though gloomy gothic emotion pours out of the keyboards. On the remaining songs, a couple of near-dance tempos do crop up and the synth tones occasionally turn optimistic, but otherwise New Order seems thoroughly stuck in the past, unable to express the range of emotions and the expressive musical flourishes that seemed to flow effortlessly from Curtis. Movement is decidedly murky, and it's best left unexplored until one has thoroughly appreciated Joy Division's studio albums and Substance. There's not much on Movement to suggest that New Order would become the dance-oriented powerhouse they would become. Fans of the band who don't care for Joy Division should steer clear. Those who appreciate both Joy Division and New Order will find the album an essential, if flawed, debut.