Eight new songs make up a new Wire album that in terms of
studio construction seems to have much in common with their latter day zenith “Send”
and its follow up, their latter day nadir “Object 47.” With a lighter touch
than the darkness of “Send” this is closer to the bold and bright sound of “Object
47” and some of the earlier Githead tunes than their more recent albums, being
recorded in the studio any witch way as opposed to being largely based on live
performances of a four piece beat combo. Although there is nothing as heavy as my
favourite song of 2015, the mighty “Harpooned,” overall I am enjoying this more
than the album simply called “Wire” because it is more playful and adventurous
and the lyrics are much more intriguing. Each song also has far more
individuality. The highpoint for me is the final song, wherein Graham Lewis
delivers his finest lead vocal since “Feed Me” collapsed the first side of “The
Ideal Copy” nearly thirty years ago. Whilst musically “Fishes’ Bones” could be yet
another endless remake of experimental touchstone “Drill,” the vocal is a silly
Dome-like bit of daft ranting about chickens and back doors and mixing his
metaphors counting rings in fishes’ bones. Perhaps this is a reflection upon aging?
The song that presumably closes side one of the vinyl release recalls the
private doom of “A Public Place.” Actually so similar is “Forward Position” in
atmosphere and tempo that I keep expecting Bruce Gilbert’s abrasive rhythmic
guitar clanks to juxtapose the desolate melody but of course they never do.
When Colin Newman ponderously croons “From my room and long forgotten,” for the
first couple of listens I thought he was singing, “From my room in Longford Garden.”
However he wasn’t name checking the park on the Chorlton and Stretford border
in Manchester, near where I live. This wouldn’t be so far fetched as Colin
lived in Chorlton years ago. The opening ditty about “Nocturnal Koreans” was
debuted in a slower form two British tours back. It has now been considerably
tightened up and delivers what is presumably a metaphorical reflection upon the
international isolation of North Korea. The word capable doesn’t scan with the
tune so Wire lost a cap and did do some bad grammar, with Colin singing, “Do you
think you are able of finding your way?” That’s about as rock’n’roll as the nocturnal
numbers get until the start of the second side when Colin references the “Pink
Flag” song that britpap abominations Elastica raped singing, “Still willing to
rhumba,” on the urgent “Numbered.” The upbeat song after that “Still” has fuck
all to do with Joy Division and actually sounds rather like a robotised Guided
By Voices trying to play Indians with Githead. “Pilgrim Trade” has a rolling
beat that is very “Object 47” sucking cash out of pockets, air out of lungs and
documents the worship of a triangular man. Who could that be? Maybe someone on
TV. “Fishes’ Bones” have no TV and march into “Internal Exile.” This second
song on the album is Wire at their lightest and brightest, a very optimistic
tune that is better than the old “Send” reject
it lyrically references, “Trash/Treasure.” Inside “Internal Exile” are
some very synthetic sounding trumpets with no pot to piss in. “An idle glance
absorbs the terror.” But no, this is not Stiff Little Fingers or the Undertones
cod soulboyism; neither is it as tasteful as the cor anglais on “A Mutual
Friend.” The third song is the one I’ll mention last as it seems to throw up a
good line with witch to end this review. Colin sings the verse of unlikely
pathways and Graham sings the chorus about retrieving lost chapters from a
distant forest on “Dead Weight” but don’t expect “German Shepherds” or serious
snakes. Even if you can glide like butterflies you’ll be dead waiting for
animals like that.
“Nocturnal Koreans” see the light of day on April 22nd.
www.pinkflag.com
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