Wire – 10:20

"It's Beginning To And Back Again" revisited...which is interesting, since that album itself revisited tracks from earlier Wire releases. But "10:20" sounds fresher than "IBTABA" (much as I love it) ever did, and if you're a newcomer to the world of Wire, this isn't a bad place to start. It opens with a majestic version of 'Boiling Boy' that's dense with layers of chugging guitars, then aurally repurposes 'German Shepherds' by appending the rhythm of the 1979 Wire standard 'Map Ref. 41°N 93°W.' Even 'Over Theirs,' one of those numbers that the band probably tweaked a little *too* often during the '80s, benefits from a no-nonsense reinterpretation (and a booming, Led Zeppelin-esque drum intro). Along the way, they give a nod to the distant past (with the frenetic 'Underwater Experiences,' which dates all the way back to 1978) and cough up one brand-new track, the meditative but melodically strong 'Wolf Collides.'

In recent years (particularly on "Silver/Lead"), Wire seem to have lost their way; apart from Colin Newman's lead vocals, most of the newer material has borne little resemblance to what made the band great in the first place. On these reimaginings of canonical classics, however, it's obvious that they can still summon the fire. Now the trick is to apply this confident, sinewy approach to a batch of new songs.

It's okay, worth it for the two non-album tracks 'He Knows' and 'Wolf Collides' in my opinion. The re-recordings are less interpretations of the ideas behind each song, sounding rather more like they aimed to streamline the tracks to fit their current sound. While that's not inherently a negative, a lot of the experimental and atmospheric elements of songs like 'Small Black Reptile' and 'Over Theirs' just get swept away, leaving very plain sounding arrangements. Colin Newman's vocals are often very floaty and monotonous, which gives an impression of just being bored.
I don't think it's as memorable a 're-do' album as 'Change Becomes Us,' but it is still a cohesive sounding Wire album, much in the spirit of their latest material.