Wire – Wire
Their 40th anniversary might be fast approaching but the post-punk paragons show little sign of slowing down. And, on this evidence, the artistic well is far from dry. The core trio of founder Colin Newman, Graham Lewis and Robert (Gotobed) Grey are not so foolish as to step too far away from the pulsing grooves that have come to typify their sound over 13 albums, but the addition of new guitarist Matthew Simms adds welcome colour.
Wire is solid throughout, but its high spots come mid-point and in closing, where Sleep-Walking and Harpooned both play out over eight minutes, making for a dramatic counterpoint to the snappy blueprint. Wire's influence on the UK's up and down indie scene is perhaps still best typified by Elastica's lifting of the band's Three Girl Rhumba for their 1995 hit Connection. If only more of the current crop had the guile to steal so smartly.