Even when first pedalling short sharp Seventies shocks Wire were essentially conceptual artists, sculpting minimal cubist punk.
Thirty-five years later, all pushing sixty, their third album this century seems to be a typically tidy modern rock record, albeit one that also unfolds within invisible inverted commas. The Artful Dodger dropped aitches of old are replaced with neutralised, classless vowels.
Everything sounds pitch-shifted to perfection.
Moreover recalls Wire’s original noise-burst blueprint, Please Take purloins the tasteful glacial pop of their Eighties incarnation, and Adapt sports an unashamedly affecting descending chord sequence a more austere Wire might once have thought mawkish. Still they evolve.
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter