Silver/Lead is Wire's 15 studio album. Here Colin Newman and Matt Simms’ guitar work is alternately jagged and luminous, while bassist Graham Lewis’s ear-catching lyrics are vivid yet oblique. Meanwhile, drummer Robert Grey provides a virtual masterclass in percussive minimalism. But it’s how the various instruments mesh together that really counts. And Newman’s production creates a sonic space in which even the smallest gesture is accorded some recognition...

Silver/Lead is an interesting album which sounds a little raw and slightly experimental, while at the same time giving off a polished '80s vibe. Tracks like 'Diamonds In Cups' have a '70s buzz, however the 10 songs (36 min, 09 sec) blur the line between genre and decades. There's a little bit of everything thrown into the mix, which makes for an interesting, almost hypnotic, listening experience.

Easily the most memorable track, for me, was 'Forever A Day', although 'This Time' also uses the same basic building blocks.

It's an album that will take quite some time to grow on you, but once you start to appreciate its subtleties it just gets better and better with each additional play. It's then you realise it doesn't just take elements from the past, but it also tries to predict music trends of the future.

8

Nick Smithson