Review Summary: Brain wave.
New wave music, the genre of many genres. In this album you’ll hear hear rock with ska, reggae, funk, surfer rock, and pop influence. That’s what I heard anyway. The beauty of this album is it’s not one-dimensional; the impact could be vastly different depending on who’s listening. There’s so much variety in the guitar bits and vocals, although unabashed catchiness is present. It’s a bit of an odd experience with some captivating ideas coupled with a handful of strange choices. That’s the charm here, that it’s ever pushing boundaries, unafraid of seeming silly.
A couple songs may wear out their welcome, but Drums And Wires is otherwise overwhelmingly fun. XTC’s boisterous energy is infectious and consistently entertaining, translated perfectly through wonky guitar. It doesn’t stop at the guitar though, for their juicy creativity reaches far, including loads of memorable vocal hooks and choruses. Interminably energetic, the vocalist infuses his jovial passion into his singing, with a performance difficult to forget. Despite sounding strange at times, the band stick to their style with panache, and it’s difficult to be unamused.
Drums And Wires offers cool vibes - a feel good album. It’s a delicious blast back to the tail end of the 70s, and a nice commentary on new wave music at the time. There’s something for everyone here, a collision of ideas that combine into a fairly pleasant yet rockin’, good-old time. I can’t recommend this album enough. Put your new music aside to listen to a classic today.
