At Cuepoint, Gordon Moakes, bassist for Bloc Party and Young Legionnaire, explores the beautiful restraint of Joy Division’s “Passover,” from Closer.
The spirit of it is bare, honest, and fascinating, the voice inviting you down into the heart of the song. This melody only gains more power in its third repeat of four, a variation which opens up entirely with an upswinging note of hope — “Is this the role that you wanted to live?” — its surging lift creating a great juxtaposition of possibility against the implied desperation in the words and general atmosphere.
Joy Division’s ‘Passover’: A Victory of Collective Restraint
Joy Division: Closer (Amazon)
