Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

As one of the last Joy Division songs written by Ian Curtis, “Ceremony” always felt less like a final statement to me, and more like an open-ended question: What if Curtis was still alive today? What if the Joy Division journey carried on? I believe “Ceremony” gives us a glimpse into what that world could’ve looked like, in all its raw, unpolished glory.

“Ceremony” started and ended heavy on the guitars. These were iconic, scorching riffs from Bernard Sumner, and definitely not indicative of the synth-led musical direction that would take shape in the form of New Order. But unlike a good portion of the Joy Division canon, the mood of the melody was in direct contrast with the theme of the lyrics — a dynamic that would later be adopted by The Smiths and other bands. Still atmospheric and edgy, it showed that post punk didn’t have to be characterized by a single emotion or mood. Just like life.

“Heaven knows, it's got to be this time.”