Today, post-punk legends Wire have announced details of their new album, ‘Mind Hive,’ set for release on January 24, 2020 via the band’s own label pinkflag. The band’s seventeenth studio album sees the group continue a run of stellar releases, showcasing a band on peak form 40 years into their hugely influential career. The first glimpse of ‘Mind Hive’ comes with lead single Cactused, one of new album’s resoundingly pop moments. Colin Newman’s vocal is wide eyed and wired, with Lewis’ smooth backing vocals thickening the plot. Matthew Simms’ effects-heavy guitar work creates a bright web of noise, with the song’s stop/start moments providing a series of precise energy bursts. Watch the video for the track via YouTube below.
Since their inception, Wire have maintained a reputation for creating music that stretches the rock form whilst simultaneously editing it down to its essence. With their gift for crafting songs that perfectly balance experimentation and accessibility, Wire were recently hailed by the Quietus as “one of the most consistent British bands of all time.” Yet Wire exhibit little inclination to look back or trade on past glories, rather they remain resolutely focused on producing music which is smart, vital and defiantly modern.
‘Mind Hive’ is the group’s first newly recorded material since 2017’s stellar ‘Silver/Lead’. ‘Silver/Lead’ set the bar pretty high, but ‘Mind Hive’ seems to have no problem vaulting over it – a supremely confident album featuring some of the band’s most upbeat moments of recent years.
Wire’s back catalogue is of course studded with influential epoch defining works. Last year saw the reissue of their ground-breaking first three albums: ‘Pink Flag,’ ‘Chairs Missing,’ and ‘154’. These were voted amongst the top reissues of the year (Rolling Stone at no.10, Uncut at no.12 and Select at no.3). And now ‘Mind Hive’ arrives at a time when Wire are being cited as an influence by yet another generation of bands. They are also the subjects of a career spanning feature documentary called ‘People in a Film’ due for release late 2020 (details here).
Quite how a group that has been operating for such a long period is still able to produce such exciting and essential work is difficult to understand. And yet here we are; ‘Mind Hive’ is the most masterful 35 minutes of post-punk you will hear this year.
‘Mind Hive’ track list
1. Be Like Them
2. Cactused
3. Primed and Ready
4. Off The Beach
5. Unrepentant
6. Shadows
7. Oklahoma
8. Hung
9. Humming
They are hitting the road in support of ‘Mind Hive’ – the tour dates are below.
Tour dates
January 27 – Bristol, UK @ The Fleece
January 28 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall
January 29 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds
January 30 – Glasgow, UK @ G2 (The Garage)
January 31 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
February 1- Brighton, UK @ Chalk
March 3 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
March 4 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
March 6 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
March 7 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
March 9 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage
March 10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
March 11 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
March 13 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair
March 14 – Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Centre
March 16 – Toronto, ON @ Great Hall
May 21 – London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall
