Manscape

The final record of their mid-eighties incarnation has Wire drifting even closer to New Order territory. It’s taken me a while, but I think of have come to accept this release. It is certainly their weakest LP and a couple of songs like “Torch It” border on the unlistenable, but there are a couple of gems here. Most noteworthy are “Morning Bell,” “Children of Groceries,” and “You Hung Your Lights In The Trees/A Craftsman’s Touch.” You have to look towards Colin Newman’s solo electronica albums to guess how Wire might have evolved had they not taken a break at this point in their career.