Bad Lieutenant are not, as it first seemed, New Order minus Hook, but Bernard Sumner with Phil Cunningham (who replaced Gillian Gilbert in New Order in this century) and Jake Evans from Rambo And Leroy.
Steve Morris appears on just a few tracks. He's even in the Sink Or Swim video, though the drums were apparently played by Jack Mitchell.
One may wonder why Johnny Marr hasn't been involved into the project, since his style is more present here than on many Electronic tracks. He has clearly returned on Bernard Sumner the influence he received from Bernard when he was a Joy Division fan.
One may also wonder why Jimi Goodwin from Doves hasn't been involved, given that Evans' vocals sound exactly like him.
We may wonder what we want, but after all Never Cry Another Tear remains a very good, almost excellent album, much above what we could expect from Bernard Sumner at his age (53).
There are some fantastic tunes and some wonderful guitars, whether they sound like Marr or not.
I've read very good reviews of the single Sink Or Swim, but I think it just repeats a very good idea a bit too long. Towards the end you've just had enough of the chorus.
There are far worse songs on the album, namely the closing Head Into Tomorrow, an extremely boring post-Britpop acoustic ballad, and maybe the only really ugly track of the album.
But there are far better songs too, the highlight for me is Running Out Of Luck which sounds like a great New Order song, at some point you could believe it's Hooky with his bass there in the middle, and not a guitar, the tune is really emotional and inspired, Bernard Sumner on top form again.
Walk On Silver Water (co-written by Blur's Alex James who also plays bass) sounds like Electronic at their best, pure melancholic beauty.
Summer Days is the most Smiths-ish song but you can't help enjoying it, it's just a good tune.
Poisonous Intent is the one sounding more like New Order, as coming from somewhere between Get Ready and Waiting For The Sirens' Call, it's fun with some really good keyboard and programming.
These are definitely the best tracks for me, but don't even think the others aren't good at least.
Twist Of Fate sounds like Krafty but there's a guitar which at times seem to come straight from Joy Division, This Is Home and These Changes are the songs the Doves have always tried to make, they're just huge and beautiful tunes.
Dynamo is a kind of over ambitious pastiche throwing The Beatles, The Who and New Order into a unholy affair, still it's not irritating at all, you just enjoy its strong energy and smile.
Talking about pastiche, Bad Lieutenant venture even into Age Of Consent 2, here titled Shine Like The Sun, well, the start at least just recalls that New Order classic, the rest veers towards the Doves again. And again you have to admit it's just a nice pop song though you wouldn't be supposed to like it because it's kinda uncool.
Runaway lets you hope Bad Lieutenant have made their own Everyday Is Like Sunday, the beginning is that epic, well it's not at the heighth of Morrissey's classic, but it's not way below either.
Now, the two bonus tracks: Falling Trees is nothing special, just a pleasant positive pop song, Split The Atom is far better, a really inspired verse leads to a radio-friendly chorus and some really good guitar, could have been a hit single.
How Long is not a cover of the Electronic track from Raise The Pressure, but yet another song with the same title and it's the iTunes-only track. It's basically Jimi Goodwin singing a wonderful Smiths song, it should be wrong and nasty, but it's beautiful.
Just like the whole album: hopelessly uncool, but honestly lovely, and ultimately better than most bands which have emerged in this void decade have been capable of doing.
It's like Bernard Sumner showing to the kids that if they really want to do music drawing heavy inspiration from the past, this is how it should be made, still inventive and emotional, at the risk of sounding ridiculous.
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