Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Wire's saving grace has usually been the minimalist cleanliness of their structures, which have the undemonstrative firmness and cool solidity of Barnett Newman's colour-field canvases.
Red Barked Tree is a textbook lesson in how to pare things down to their essence, be it the mild, fragrant chording of "Please Take", the dream-pop soundscape of "Adapt", or the springy guitar groove of "Now Was". Best of all is "Clay", whose nagging guitar momentum creates one of Wire's classic descending hooks. Lyrically, the familiar air of calm aloofness works best on "Bad Worn Thing", with Graham Lewis's plummy tones replete with cool contempt for under-achievement: "They clip their speech, they clip your wings, the absent tribe of missing links". On this showing, the feral rage of their punk youth has matured into a pleasingly poised disaffection, with no loss of acuity.
DOWNLOAD THIS Clay; Bad Worn Thing; Please Take; Smash; Adapt
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments