Wire----Red Barked Tree---Consummate Artistry In Constant Motion

I would say that at this late period in history, it would be difficult to try to categorically pin down the group Wire. Why bother? After 30+ years they are still making interesting and innovative music. And they have a history of confounding expectations. Good for them. For all the people who wished that there were 5 more Pink Flags, I think we are all better off with the route the band pursued, changing chameleon like, but with the same ongoing fierce intelligence, inventiveness and artistry that has influenced several generations of new musicians.

Generally, the reviews of the new Wire album Red Barked Tree have been quite positive. And I would be deceiving you if I said something differently. There are two backlashes that I foresee, one that has already transpired to some degree. The first is that this album is their "pop" album, one in which they have sold out their artistic values in pursuit of filthy lucre, which I have seen. (Some would see this as a positive development.) The second backlash is that while the album is OK, it is not a transcendent game changer of an album in the ways that some of Wire's past albums have been. So why are they bothering?

First of all, Red Barked Tree is not exactly a pop album. Perhaps in comparison to other albums by the band, yes, but only some of the time. Stylistically it is all over the place, which I consider a good thing. Some songs are quite tuneful, even poppy in a loud way. While the album is nowhere near as assertive and brawny as the music of their most recent return, some of the songs raise a serious ruckus. It is certainly not quite a return to the minimalist Pink Flag days either. In my ears I hear a decided "shoe gazing" element to the music, though maybe that is not so fair since Wire in all likelihood was an influence on those groups. And while this recording is not on pace to revolutionize music, I must say it is very, very, good. If you don't already own Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, or 154, or Send, give this a rain check. But I must say I am enjoying this album quite a bit. Then again, if they made a polka album it probably would be good also.

Wire begins the album in a fairly pop manner with Please Take, whose cryptic lyrics belie the radio ready pop. "Please take your knife out of my back". Now Was contrarily is a more jittery itchy type of song, also quite easy on the ears. Equally interesting is the caustic social commentary contained in the lyrics of Bad Worn Thing. "The overcrowded Nature of things...."

As interesting to me is a song like Adapt which combines a melodic lyricism with the dreamy strummy sonics of shoegaze. Two Minutes is one of the noisier moments on the disc, quite reminiscent of Kiwi Noise Aficionados Bailter Space. Then they kick back with Clay, which is a song that reminds me of a Wire song than a lot of the songs on the album. I must say the pacing and dynamics on this album are impeccable. On a bad day they are more interesting than most other bands.



And if you want truly melodious, look no further than A Flat Tent, which has chops like a Ramones classic yet still remains completely Wire. The following tune Smash is very much in the sonic vein of Ride or My Bloody Valentine. Absolutely beautiful noise. Another loud number is the pounding thrashbeat of Moreover, which is probably the noisiest bit on this record.  I especially like the final song Red Barked Trees, which is a nervous dour acoustic number that reminds me a bit of the great NZ Xpressway band This Kind of Punishment.



Overall, I really like this album. I'd say at least half the songs on this album are flat out great, and since the music is stylistically diverse, the album is an interesting listen from start to finish. Wire is definitely one of the greatest and most innovative punk bands ever, and in my view what makes them punk is their continual shedding of skins. While this album may nostalgically look to their past at times, the band continues to challenge themselves and try new things. This is definitely one of the best new albums I've listened to so far this year.

Wire is currently on a World Tour to promote their new album. I know in early Spring they will be here in the US. I saw them for the first and only time when they reunited and began releasing their Read And Burn Eps at Irving Plaza in NYC . I must say they were an extremely engaging and exciting band to see. If you enjoy their recorded output, do yourself a favor and see this band live if you have the opportunity.