With
Peter Hook's departure in 2007, prospects for new material from
New Order were looking increasingly dim, so the surprisingly workmanlike
Bernard Sumner formed
Bad Lieutenant to record his new songs.
Sumner looked for help to various sources: latter-day
New Order keyboardist
Phil Cunningham; bassist
Tom Chapman; a young Manchester head named Jake Evans for guitar, vocals, and a little songwriting; plus, on a few tracks, bassist
Alex James of
Blur and
New Order drummer
Stephen Morris.
Sumner can't help but recall
New Order as soon as he puts pen to paper or opens his mouth, but there are slight differences between this material and what he's been known for. If anything,
Never Cry Another Tear accentuates the melodic guitar pop and straightforward lyricism of
New Order's work in the 2000s. Although
Hook is missed, the low end sounds quite good indeed in the capable hands of
Chapman and
James. As good as
Hook's bass work was, its range was limited, and it's intriguing to hear a wider range of sounds here -- from sprightly Brit-pop on "Summer Days on Holiday" to the towering work on "Dynamo" that comes straight from the
John Entwistle school (the song's nearly a rewrite of
the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again"). Of course, new bands have lower expectations than established bands, and while virtually every listener will contrast
Never Cry Another Tear with
New Order's best work, it has the sweep and grandeur of the group's classic moments.