Silver/Lead

Sixteenth album from one of the original punk bands, still going strong and writing abstruse, brainy, heavy songs forty years after their formation. Here, the punk stance isn’t as much based in the intensity (unless you’re Keiji Haino, toning it down in your 60s is understandable) as in the disjunction of sounds: 80s guitars and drumbeats paired with dry, understated vocals and odd subtle proggy effects. The overall effect is mellow and vaguely poppy in an 80s way—think maybe the catchier moments in their album 154. Favorites: 1, 3, 6, 8, 10. No FCCs.

1. *(3:46)—Mid-tempo. Psychedelic beginning. Noisy, dissonant, murky and dry at the same time.
2. (2:56)—Fast, hazy, straight-ahead punk.
3. *(4:10)—Mid-tempo, dreamy, dark, simple. Feels very 80’s. Reminds me of The Chameleons (who were almost certainly influenced by Wire).
4. (4:08)—Mid-tempo. Feedback intro, clean guitars, vaguely baggy 80s British rock feel.
5. (3:12)—Slow, swampy, easygoing. Washes of psychedelic, sci-fi drone.
6. *(4:32)—Slow, dark, intent, slightly metallic, dreamy. Acoustic fingerpicking, stabs of distortion. Really cool.
7. (4:18)—Medium-slow, chilly and kinda bluesy.
8. *(3:39)–Medium-slow. Lonely, pretty guitar. Acoustic strumming. Strong Pink Floyd feel.
9. (3:01)–Fast, syncopated, relaxed. Spacey synths and guitar. Speaking of Pink Floyd…
10. *(2:41)–Slow, hypnotic strut. Surprisingly relaxing. Nice simple watery guitar lead.