Album Reviews

Wire’s latest release, the “Nocturnal Koreans” EP, comes with eight songs which were recorded alongside the eleven tracks that made up the band’s 2015 self-titled effort, but which didn’t make it onto the album.

Why they didn’t make the cut? Because the band wanted their 2015 album to come with a live feel, whereas these songs demand more studio trickery. As a result, “Nocturnal Koreans” shows a different side of Wire, albeit an equally impressive one. I’m trying to remember, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard Wire this tuneful before.  “Nocturnal Koreans” is the perfect soundtrack for a night drive, with tunes that constantly shift like the landscape that races by. Songs like “Internal Exile” and “Forward Position” are equally comforting as they are unsettling and they are compact, yet still manage to conjure up images of vastness.

Ageists should take notice. These guys may very well be in their 60s, yet they still keep on innovating and end up with standout releases every single time that are light years ahead of their younger counterparts.