ay back in my high school days, I had a concrete vision of where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do in college. First was to drastically improve my social status. Let's see, I've accomplished that. Next, to become an editor at the college paper. Yep, got that covered. Better grades? Ummm...see me next semester. And finally, I wanted to write a euphoric review of the triumphant comeback album I was sure would be released by my then-favorite group, New Order. Well, the comeback album is here, and so is the review, though not quite as ecstatic as I'd hoped it would be.


Get Ready has been a long time coming. I've been waiting for this record since 1993, which is when their last album, Republic, was unleashed. A lot has changed in that time. My critic's ears have gradually been trained to appreciate more sophisticated sounds; more intricate arrangements. Bernard Sumner's emotionally detached vocals, which spoke directly to my alienated heart in high school, have been traded in for more emotive singers, such as Thom Yorke and Jeff Tweedy.


After nearly a decade of silence and lackluster side projects, I didn't hold much hope. Republic itself was a mixed bag, the sound of a group utterly losing passion for making music, nearly becoming a Sumner solo project along the way, with nary a live drum set and precious few classic Peter Hook bass lines to be found. The album drowned in a sea of predictable dance grooves and syrupy synths.


The 1999 release of Twisted Tenderness, the third album from Sumner's side project, Electronic, showed that one of the original post-punk guitar gods was developing a newfound love of the instrument; as the album was filled with driving Led Zeppelin-esque beats and elastic rhythms and riffs.


Get Ready only confirms this. New Order haven't rocked this urgently since 1986's Brotherhood album. A fruitless nostalgia romp this ain't, though it is reminiscent of their earlier work. Drummer Steve Morris ferociously slaps his set around as if his life depended on it, especially on the messy, raw "Rock The Shack." Sumner's once-spiky guitar has smoothed out the edges, resulting in a more streamlined attack with less feedback and random bursts of noise that nevertheless packs a formidable punch. Most importantly, bassist Peter Hook is in top form, churning out his now-patented bass hooks (no pun intended) at every turn.


Get Ready doesn't offer anything drastically new for the group, save the acoustic closer, "Run Wild," but it does show them adapting their sound for today's audience. And unlike recent comeback albums by other 80s stalwarts Depeche Mode and Echo and the Bunnymen, New Order is less concerned with digging themselves a comfortable AAA-radio rut than they are actually rocking out. They sound alive, vital and above all - to be enjoying themselves and each other, a feat that has always been difficult for this most private of groups.


Dense production that overflows with attention to detail, sharp songwriting and skillfull playing are all aspects that Echo and Depeche mined on their recent albums, but they seemed lifeless, listless and bored by the whole procedure. New Order launch themselves with full force on every track, including the ballads, infusing them with strains of pure joy of music. It's the sound of a band rediscovering themselves and their craft; filled with positive sentiments and organic sounds; the complete antithesis of Republic's glittering, yet vacuous trinkets.


The opening salvo and leadoff single, "Crystal," is the perfect encapsulation of Get Ready. Live drums nest comfortably next to programmed drum loops; Hook's bass takes the forefront, providing the song with both its defining rhythm and unforgettable melody all at once; Gillian Gilbert's keyboards float in and out of the mix unobtrusively; and Sumner's awkward vocals are just as endearing as they were 15 years ago. "Crystal" is slick, ultra-produced and processed, yet it is performed with the cavalier, off-the-cuff manner that only accomplished veterans with supreme beliefs in their abilities could manage.


"60 Miles Per Hour" duplicates the formula of "Crystal" with slightly less impressive results, but is never boring. When New Order does slow down the tempo for more introspective songs, the music still remains invigorating, such as in "Vicious Streak," with its computerized bass loop that feels like an anvil tied to your brain. The only other track that finds New Order in subdued mode is the prog-tinted "Run Wild," which is already being hotly debated among devoted fans as either one of the best things they've ever done, or a sappy and simplistic piece of psychedelic folk-cheese.


In "Run Wild," Sumner actually opts for a straight-forward narrative, as he paints a poignant love song with a fragile acoustic guitar and harmonica. "Run Wild" slowly crescendos into waves of strings and synthesizers colored by deepest dusk. When Sumner, backed by the angelic Gillian Gilbert, informs his lover that "When Jesus comes to take your hand/ I won't let go," it's quite possibly the most emotionally direct moment these musicians have shown us since 1980, when they were still the dark visionary group known as Joy Division. They've never sounded so at peace than here. Sappy? Maybe, but I guess that we all have to grow up sometime, and it's done gracefully here.


Perhaps the most telling moments on Get Ready are the collaborations with Billy Corgan (yes, that Billy) and Primal Scream, on "Turn My Way" and "Rock The Shack," respectively. The Great Pumpkin himself appears on "Turn My Way" to provide both vocals and guitar. I'm not sure if the track bridges the gap between Corgan's dearly departed group and New Order's discofied punk, or is just a desperate attempt at hipster points. Taken on its own merits, it's a fine modern rock song, filled with wistful lament, and Corgan's voice complements Sumner's quite nicely.


"Rock The Shack," despite its ridiculous title, is the album's most aggressive track, as a raw guitar in the vein of MC5 or The Stooges parades around like a drunken thug, while Screamer Bobby Gillespie provides plenty of fractured, dissonant squelches and nasal sneers. Sumner's funk-fried down-and-dirty guitar repeats and expounds upon his guest appearance on the Scream's last album, "Shoot Speed/Kill Light." The whole mess melts down after four minutes of noisy outbreak. Not bad for a bunch of reserved Englishmen (and women) that are pushing 50 years of age.


New Order's glory days, both in my own aesthetic view and the musical world at large may be long gone, but Get Ready is a rock-solid reminder of what made them one of the 80s best musical creations, and why newbies should check them out. Welcome back, guys - I missed you.