The debut album by the partnership of Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr was heralded for some time in advance thanks to earlier singles like the exquisite, disco-tinged confection “Getting Away With It” — itself notably featuring Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys as well — and the rough shuffle of “Get the Message.” The album finds its own sonic balance away from both New Order and especially the Smiths; if Sumner isn’t the sharpest with hip-hop flow, he makes a game effort, and songs like “Gangster” and the concluding “Feel Every Beat” connect just so.

– Ned Raggett