Waiting for the Sirens' Call

Released in 2005, New Order’s <i>Waiting for the Sirens’ Call</i> hit the critical and commercial bullseye—not a surprise, considering that, by the early 2000s, few veteran bands were as beloved as New Order. The band’s circa-1980s tunes had been rediscovered and revived by a new generation of listeners, many of whom were entranced by <i>Waiting for the Sirens’ Call</i>, which was as effortlessly cool as anything Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris had ever created as a band. The band members were aided in their efforts by an array of new producers, including indie legends Stephen Street (The Smiths, The Cranberries, Blur) and John Leckie (Muse, Radiohead, The Stone Roses), as well as electronic fave Stuart Price, who was also busy making Madonna relevant for the umpteenth time via <i>Confessions on a Dancefloor</i>. It was Price who introduced New Order to Scissor Sisters singer Ana Matronic, resulting in the standout <i>Sirens’ Call</i> single “Jetstream”. That injection of new blood also extended to the songwriting: The band brought <i>Get Ready</i> touring guitarist Phil Cunningham into the writing room, increasing the group’s output, resulting in so many ideas that Sumner—now New Order’s principle lyricist—fretted he wouldn’t be able to complete all of the compositions. All that newfound effort paid off: Singles “Krafty” and “Jetstream” both received ample club play, partly because they were each packaged with a plethora of remixes (a first for the group). And because <i>Waiting for the Sirens’ Call</i> showed up just as both New Order <i>and</i> Joy Division were experiencing massive revivals, the members of New Order were able to land a primo spot at 2005’s Coachella festival, and then hit the road for a series of high-profile gigs—before once again breaking up.