Wire resurrects unrecorded material from 1979-80 for new album ‘Change Becomes Us’

U.K. post-punk legends Wire today announced the release of their fourth post-reunion album and 13th overall, a 13-track collection called Change Becomes Us that is due out next March and “began as an exploration of unrecorded material originally written in 1979-80,” according to an e-mail the band sent to fans.

The album is due out March 25 on the band’s own Pink Flag label, and already is available for pre-order in a variety of special bundles, including, depending how much fans want to pay, the CD bundled with a T-shirt, a copy of Wilson Neate’s upcoming “Read & Burn: A Book About Wire” and, for £1,100 (about $1,772), an Eastwood Airline Seafoam Guitar played by Colin Newman.

The band — featuring core members Newman, Graham Lewis and Robert Grey. plus new guitarist Matt Simms — began work the album last April in Wales in an attempt “to bring as much of the dynamic energy of the 2011 touring group to the recording.” The sessions also were the first to incorporate Simms, previously just a touring guitarist, into Wire’s recording process.

The band writes:

“Change Becomes Us began as an exploration of unrecorded material originally written in 1979–80. Some of this material had only ever existed as quickly prepared sketches for one-off performance; however, subjected to the rigour of a Wire working process of both touring and studio, it evolved organically into what we think is a fascinating hybrid. Liberated from its historic roots, it simply took off! ‘Really fresh!’ is the common quote of the few who’ve heard it!”

Change Becomes Us is Wire’s first studio album since 2011’s Red Barked Tree.

The band today also announced that its Legal Bootleg Series, which launched in 2010, will continue with a second set of live albums recorded between 1978 and 2011, with the first release possibly becoming available before Christmas.

The new set will include the titles West Runton Pavillion (1978), Amsterdam – Roxy Music Tour (1979), Berlin (1979) Amsterdam (1987), Metropol, Vienna (1987), Mean Fiddler (1990), The Garage (2000), Scala (2008), German Tour (2009) and European Tour (2011) — with two additional digital-only releases available to fans who buy the complete series.

Tracklist: Wire, Change Becomes Us

1. “Doubles & Trebles”
2. “Keep Exhaling”
3. “Adore Your Island”
4. “Re-invent Your Second Wheel”
5. “Stealth Of A Stork”
6. “B/W Silence”
7. “Time Lock Fog”
8. “Magic Bullet”
9. “Eels Sang”
10. “Love Bends”
11. “As We Go”
12. “& Much Besides”
13. “Attractive Space”

PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS

• Stream: Wire, ‘The Black Session – Paris 10 May 2011’ – live album out next week
• Wire to release ‘The Black Session – Paris 10 May 2011’ live album in February
• Wire streams new album ‘Red Barked Tree,’ sets North American tour in April
• Download: Wire’s ‘Two Minutes,’ first track from new album ‘Red Barked Tree’
• Wire announces ‘Legal Bootleg Series,’ preps 12th studio album for January release