Just a year after the release of the old-songs-resurrected set Change Becomes Us, U.K. post-punk legends Wire return with another brand-new album, their 13th overall, which they’re simply calling Wire. The band has announced U.K. and U.S. tours to support the record, and has offered up the first taste of the LP in the form of “Joust & Jostle,” streaming below.
The new self-titled album is due out April 13 in the U.K. and April 21 in the U.S., and marks the first music created with the full participation of new guitarist Matthew Sims, who joined core members Colin Newman, Graham Lewis and Robert Grey in 2012. The album can be pre-ordered directly from the band.
Of the new record, the group says:
Their 13th studio album — simply titled Wire — comprises material that was written with the album in mind, but toured extensively first, as well as songs that Newman introduced to the group in the studio just prior to recording. The idea was to get the most spontaneous reaction possible from the musicians, and far from the rough and ready results one might expect from such a tack, Wire is full of swooning pop melodies with a ’60s tinge and an irresistible, near motorik rhythmic momentum. One can recognise certain melodic inflections, guitar and bass motifs, and drum rhythms from Wire’s idiosyncratic vocabulary but it has a remarkable freshness.
Wire will tour throughout the spring, beginning with U.K. dates in February and April, including its Drill festival in London, followed by an 11-date U.S. run in late May and early June.
Below, check out the full tracklist and tour dates, and stream new track “Joust & Jostle.”
Tracklist: Wire, Wire
1. “Blogging”
2. “Shifting”
3. “Burning Bridges”
4. “In Manchester”
5. “High”
6. “Sleep-Walking”
7. “Joust & Jostle”
8. “Swallow”
9. “Split Your Ends”
10. “Octopus”
11. “Harpooned”
Wire tour dates:
UNITED KINGDOM
Feb. 19: The Musician, Leicester
Feb. 20: Unity, Wakefield
Feb. 22: Sage, Newcastle
April 12-13: Prince Albert, Brighton
April 14-18: Drill : Lexington, London
April 20: Engine Rooms, Southampton
April 21: Music Hall, Ramsgate
April 22: Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
April 23: Kazimer, Liverpool
April 24: Trades Club, Hebden Bridge
April 26: Lemon Tree, Aberdeen
April 27: King Tuts, Glasgow
April 28: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
April 29: Club Academy, Manchester
April 30: Fleece, Bristol
UNITED STATES
May 27: Nuemos, Seattle, WA
May 29: Slim’s, San Francisco, CA
May 30: The Echoplex, Los Angeles, CA
June 2: The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA
June 3: Music Hall Of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
June 4: Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
June 5: Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA
June 6: Black Cat, Washington, D.C.
June 8: Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH
June 9: Majestic Theatre, Detroit, MI
June 10: Headliners, Louisville, KY
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Wire streams new album ‘Change Becomes Us,’ announces U.S. tour dates
- Free MP3: Wire, ‘Love Bends’ — reworked 1980 track off ‘Change Becomes Us’
- Stream: Wire, ‘Doubles & Trebles’ — first track off upcoming ‘Change Becomes Us’ LP
- Wire resurrects unrecorded material from 1979-80 for new album ‘Change Becomes Us’
- Stream: Wire, ‘The Black Session – Paris 10 May 2011’ – live album out next week
Their last two releases were brilliant, especially Red Barked Tree, looking forward to this. I was hoping that their resurgence in the last few years would see the re-release of Colin’s solo work but this hasn’t happened as of yet.
Ah Yeah!!! They are soooo underrated! Especially their ’80s output.