LogFAQs > #956614873

78. Joy Division Atmosphere (1980)
non-album single

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EdUjlawLJM

Key lyrics:
Your confusion, my illusion
Worn like a mask of self-hate, confronts and then dies

Atmosphere is a difficult song to digest, impossible to separate from Ian Curtiss suicide. This song was released as a single soon after and feels uncomfortably like a self-requiem. Even without this exterior knowledge, Atmosphere hits with unusual gravity. The drums give a sense of stumbling over and over again, one of the most striking beats in all of rock. Outside of Ian Curtiss tragic life, a sad truth about Joy Division is that the other members often get overlooked despite forming New Order. Curtiss vocals are powerful, but Stephen Morris gives Atmosphere and so much of Closer its weight.

Of course, Atmosphere is among their best tracks because Ian Curtis delivers the strongest vocals of his career. The range he shows during the third verse is mesmerizing, with the penultimate shout of dont walk away coming across as a most despairing demand. Every line in this song is extended, Ian Curtis inching out every last drop of emotional vulnerability.

Despite the dark atmosphere, Atmosphere is not without hope. Bernard Sumners keyboard comes in after the first verse and gives a meditative touch. When discussing the works of suicidal artists, it is key to remember that they were still alive while making their art. If Ian Curtis had not committed suicide, this would be remembered in a very different light a depressed man finding his voice and speaking up. Though Curtis did not win his battle, his works have lingered in the popular conscious for his ability to so perfectly express what is rarely said. In my darkest times, songs like Atmosphere remind me I am not alone in my troubles.

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