WIRE
“Red Barked Tree”
New album released January 10th 2011
“Red Barked Tree”
New album released January 10th 2011
At a time when back catalogue outsells fresh creativity and newcomers achieve fame by adding a lick of paint to their parents’ record collections, it’s unusual to find a band who, despite plying their trade for decades, are willing and able to make new work that’s as vital and relevant as their own illustrious past recordings. Wire are such a band, and with Red Barked Tree they just might have succeeded in making a statement that will sound as strong in 30 years as their celebrated historical oeuvre does today.
Red Barked Tree rekindles a lyricism sometimes absent from Wire’s previous work and reconnects with the live energy of performance, harnessed and channelled from extensive touring over the past few years.
Red Barked Tree was conceived, written and recorded mostly during 2010 by the pared-down line-up of Colin Newman, Graham Lewis and Robert Grey -- with no guests. Ranging from the hymnal “Adapt” to the barking sledgehammer art-punk of “Two Minutes,” the album encompasses the full palette of style and nuance that has always endeared Wire to pastel-tinged pop aficionados and bleeding-edge avant-rockers alike.
Whatever Wire make is Wire music: this is the band’s enigmatic guiding axiom. While Wire remain agnostic about the nature and identity of their aesthetic essence, it’s always been instantly recognisable, manifesting itself throughout their heterogeneous work. Perhaps this enigma will be revealed when we find the “Red Barked Trees”....
Tracklisting:
1. Please Take
2. Now Was
3. Adapt
4. Two Minutes
5. Clay
6. Bad Worn Thing
7. Moreover
8. A Flat Tent
9. Smash
10. Down To This
11. Red Barked Trees
2. Now Was
3. Adapt
4. Two Minutes
5. Clay
6. Bad Worn Thing
7. Moreover
8. A Flat Tent
9. Smash
10. Down To This
11. Red Barked Trees
First single: "Two Minutes"
ReplyDeleteTo my ears 'Two Minutes' seems like a competent, but fairly nondescript, and unmemorable track. At their best, Wire makes, noisy art punk/post-punk/pop-punk/etc that also manages to be catchy, and oft funny. I've listened to it several times, and to me, there's just nothing particularly memorable about 'Two Minutes'; while not terrible, it just doesn't resonant with me.
Since i have so much respect for Wire i'll certainly give 'Red Barked Trees' a fair chance. That said, this track doesn't fill me with optimism.