New Order and the Joy of Melancholy Dance Music

New Order have always had a way with the melancholic dance song, somehow managing to mix euphoric dance tunes with melancholic lyrics as shown on their most recent album 'Music Complete'. 

Even without the glorious rumbling basslines of Peter Hook the album does mark a return to form that is far better than might be expected.  A high spot of the album is the track 'Tutti Frutti' which epitomises the dancefloor tristesse. 

 The lyrics hint at coming to terms with getting older - "I feel like I'm a setting sun" - and perhaps mid-life crisis, whilst at the same time being a hymn to a partner though even that hymn is tainted by some level of dependency - "I'm under your command".

The video seems to take theme of getting older to a another level, capturing a sadness that goes well beyond the lyrics and really rams home a message of someone coming to terms with their self-image compared to how they are seen by others.  

 Perhaps all this is reading too much into the song, which is - however you choose to respond to it - a great song...


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