Wire embrace modern sound while still sticking to their roots
Wire
Silver/Lead
FILE UNDER: Post-punk promise made manifest
ROCKS LIKE: Beach House, Interpol, the Chameleons
WHAT’S DIFFERENT: The creative hot streak that these post-punk pioneers have been on since reuniting in the new millennium continues. With 2012 addition Matthew Simms now comfortably ensconced in the lineup as lead guitarist, Wire feel free to stretch out and experiment, making this one of the more varied efforts the group has attempted in some time.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Listen closely for small nods to the group’s past, like the grinding guitar of “This Time” that echoes the sound of 1978’s “I Am The Fly,” but trust that Wire still have their feet firmly planted in the present. The sound of Silver/Lead is undeniably modern, if a little too slickly rendered at times. Add a sweetly romantic bent into the mix and the result is another solid addition to a nearly peerless discography.
OUR PICK: “Silver/Lead”
