On 2008's OBJECT 47, Wire's second full-length studio album since its 21st-century reactivation, the lauded British post-punk act leaves behind both the intense rush of SEND ('03) and the man largely responsible for it, guitarist Bruce Gilbert. Continuing confidently as a trio, Wire remains as artful as ever while incorporating more melodic, pop-savvy elements into the fold, often recalling 1988's A BELL IS A CUP UNTIL IT'S STRUCK in its quirky tunefulness. Highlights include the soaring "One of Us," the propulsive "Perspex Icon," and the slinky, trip-hop-tinged "Four Long Years," all of which showcase singer/guitarist Colin Newman's charmingly cerebral persona. For lapsed fans of vintage Wire, this is an ideal point to revisit the band.
Professional Reviews
Spin (p.112) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "'All Fours' revs up the incendiary roar these fifty-somethings perfected on the recent READ & BURN EP series. Scuffed-up and brainy, OBJECT 47 finds Wire still beguiling after all these years."
Alternative Press (p.149) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "The serrated serenades of OBJECT 47 offer all the compact joys of past Wire classics like 154 and CHAIRS MISSING, but amplified and digitized for the internet age."
Q (Magazine) (p.145) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he youthful energy, wit and vigour that buoys the likes of 'One Of Us' and 'All Fours' ads up to far more than simple new wave nostalgia."
Blender (Magazine) (p.83) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]hey've looped back to their late-'80s mode: dry, mechanical grooves topped with cooling-lava noise....Their densely layered riffs reward wall-shaking volumes."
