Red Barked Tree
Encyclopedia
A guitar-dominated album, its musical styles range from thrash
, art pop and power pop
to psychedelic folk featuring acoustic guitar. Pitchfork
described Red Barked Tree as a "shrewdly sequenced album", a necessity arising from the variety of different styles represented on it: "its 11 songs are more or less positioned along a logical arc, where a sense of ominous unease gives way to violent release before simmering into a peaceful comedown". Grey stated in an interview with The Quietus
, "I was asked to propose a track sequence for the album, and I found it difficult initially. Then I realised that if I thought of the tracks as a series of scenes in a play or a film, it made it easier. I like the idea of the tracks telling a story: the story was the album from beginning to end."
As described by Pitchfork, the album's lyrics address "the emotional and environmental costs of modernity run amok". "Red Barked Trees", the track that inspired the album title, was said by Lewis to be about "dismay and hope, and the wonder of technology versus the ancient knowledge of alchemy. Will we destroy rare invaluable flora and fauna before we can research and exploit their unique properties? In the end, is it going to be the red-barked tree that's going to hold the cure for cancer?" Newman stated about the song, "It's got an open-eyed beauty to it, looking at the world as a mysterious place. It's more like Pentangle than Wire! Wire have never made a track anything like it: it's in ¾ time, with acoustic guitars, bouzouki and organ. It's an innovative track for Wire – perhaps the most different. There's nothing in our catalogue that sounds anything like it, and that pleases me immensely."
review by Garry Mulholland described the record as "40 minutes of gorgeous nothings, full of intricate curlicues of sparkling Colin Newman guitar and synth given beef by the surging rhythms of Robert Grey aka Gotobed and Graham Lewis [...] if you love alternative guitar music, you will love this, because Wire play alternative guitar music better than any young British band you can name." PopMatters
rated Red Barked Tree 8 out of 10, stating that "Selecting a standout track is no easy feat when there’s so much to sink one’s teeth into. [...] Over 11 tracks of fantastically unapproachable guitars and vocals, of deceivingly simple rhythms and unswerving purpose, Wire sound perfectly comfortable in their own skin and sense of history on Red Barked Tree." The Quietus
described the record as "a Wire album, through and through [...] Red Barked Tree reclaims the essence of their best work – the irreverence, the serene self-assuredness and the melody, but it's their lesser recognized attribute – a gamely grace – that eclipses all else here [...] as products of the post-punk generation their songs are full of contradictions: simultaneously friendly and unfamiliar; arithmetical but rolling; and rabble-rousing but vaguely neutral. The overall outcome is a sound much like a summer cold – woebegone and chilled but caressed with ripples of tingly heat, valanced by Newman's nacreous rhythm guitar that twirls through the wet, refined production beautifying everything it touches." The Pitchfork
review by Stuart Berman noted the presence of acoustic guitar
s in three tracks and the record's "impulsive stylistic shifts – from mechanized thrash to psychedelic folk to nervy power-pop – mirror[ing] the 'age of fragmentation' that Colin Newman is railing against. [...] Wire have successfully reinvented themselves once again, this time as wise elder statesmen cautioning against a world where over-reliance on GPS systems has replaced the basic survivalist skill of knowing your map references."
The New Zealand Herald gave the record four stars out of five, stating that "aside from disconcerting lyrics throughout which are droll and sometimes sharply witty – there are blasts of their more recent musical menace here too: 'Two Minutes' is mad but disciplined guitar thrash; 'Moreover' and 'Smash' are crafted Erasehead-grind metallic pop; the brooding 'Down to This' rides on electrostatic and repeated guitar and keyboard phrases. Smart, sharp, approachable and economic, Wire again give art-rock a very good name." The Kansas City Star commented, "virtually all aspects of Wire’s varied history are covered, creating a stylistic best-of composed of new material. It may be the band’s best work since 1979’s 154. [...] If influence were sufficient currency to buy one’s way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Wire would be a contender. You can count bands as diverse as R.E.M., Guided By Voices, the Manic Street Preachers, Minor Threat and the Cure as among those who confess a fondness for Wire that extends to inspiration. Red Barked Tree demonstrates that Wire can be a sustained influence; it’s a most worthy addition to the band’s estimable catalog." The Independent
gave the album a 4-star rating, stated that "on this showing, the feral rage of [Wire's] punk youth has matured into a pleasingly poised disaffection, with no loss of acuity," while The Guardian
, reviewing a live performance, concluded that Red Barked Tree sees Wire "operating at full strength. Theirs are succinct and eloquent songs; in a long career Wire continue to deal in short, sharp shocks." The review by Tim Klingbiel on Australian music website FasterLouder
noted that "From seething political references to prophetic statements about the environment, Red Barked Tree deals with a range of subjects in a magnificently compelling and thought provoking way", and that the record "serves as an indication that Wire have returned to form in a massive way, and remain just as relevant today as they were 35 years ago".
Thrash
Thrash may refer to:*Thrashing , where increasing resources are used to do a decreasing amount of work*Thrash , mascot of the Atlanta Thrashers-Music:*Thrash metal, a subgenre of heavy metal music...
, art pop and power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
to psychedelic folk featuring acoustic guitar. Pitchfork
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
described Red Barked Tree as a "shrewdly sequenced album", a necessity arising from the variety of different styles represented on it: "its 11 songs are more or less positioned along a logical arc, where a sense of ominous unease gives way to violent release before simmering into a peaceful comedown". Grey stated in an interview with The Quietus
The Quietus
The Quietus is a British online rock music and pop culture magazine, focusing on arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication led by John Doran and a group of freelance journalists and critics, some of whom have worked for other media outlets...
, "I was asked to propose a track sequence for the album, and I found it difficult initially. Then I realised that if I thought of the tracks as a series of scenes in a play or a film, it made it easier. I like the idea of the tracks telling a story: the story was the album from beginning to end."
As described by Pitchfork, the album's lyrics address "the emotional and environmental costs of modernity run amok". "Red Barked Trees", the track that inspired the album title, was said by Lewis to be about "dismay and hope, and the wonder of technology versus the ancient knowledge of alchemy. Will we destroy rare invaluable flora and fauna before we can research and exploit their unique properties? In the end, is it going to be the red-barked tree that's going to hold the cure for cancer?" Newman stated about the song, "It's got an open-eyed beauty to it, looking at the world as a mysterious place. It's more like Pentangle than Wire! Wire have never made a track anything like it: it's in ¾ time, with acoustic guitars, bouzouki and organ. It's an innovative track for Wire – perhaps the most different. There's nothing in our catalogue that sounds anything like it, and that pleases me immensely."
Reception
The album has been well received by critics. The BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
review by Garry Mulholland described the record as "40 minutes of gorgeous nothings, full of intricate curlicues of sparkling Colin Newman guitar and synth given beef by the surging rhythms of Robert Grey aka Gotobed and Graham Lewis [...] if you love alternative guitar music, you will love this, because Wire play alternative guitar music better than any young British band you can name." PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
rated Red Barked Tree 8 out of 10, stating that "Selecting a standout track is no easy feat when there’s so much to sink one’s teeth into. [...] Over 11 tracks of fantastically unapproachable guitars and vocals, of deceivingly simple rhythms and unswerving purpose, Wire sound perfectly comfortable in their own skin and sense of history on Red Barked Tree." The Quietus
The Quietus
The Quietus is a British online rock music and pop culture magazine, focusing on arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication led by John Doran and a group of freelance journalists and critics, some of whom have worked for other media outlets...
described the record as "a Wire album, through and through [...] Red Barked Tree reclaims the essence of their best work – the irreverence, the serene self-assuredness and the melody, but it's their lesser recognized attribute – a gamely grace – that eclipses all else here [...] as products of the post-punk generation their songs are full of contradictions: simultaneously friendly and unfamiliar; arithmetical but rolling; and rabble-rousing but vaguely neutral. The overall outcome is a sound much like a summer cold – woebegone and chilled but caressed with ripples of tingly heat, valanced by Newman's nacreous rhythm guitar that twirls through the wet, refined production beautifying everything it touches." The Pitchfork
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
review by Stuart Berman noted the presence of acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
s in three tracks and the record's "impulsive stylistic shifts – from mechanized thrash to psychedelic folk to nervy power-pop – mirror[ing] the 'age of fragmentation' that Colin Newman is railing against. [...] Wire have successfully reinvented themselves once again, this time as wise elder statesmen cautioning against a world where over-reliance on GPS systems has replaced the basic survivalist skill of knowing your map references."
The New Zealand Herald gave the record four stars out of five, stating that "aside from disconcerting lyrics throughout which are droll and sometimes sharply witty – there are blasts of their more recent musical menace here too: 'Two Minutes' is mad but disciplined guitar thrash; 'Moreover' and 'Smash' are crafted Erasehead-grind metallic pop; the brooding 'Down to This' rides on electrostatic and repeated guitar and keyboard phrases. Smart, sharp, approachable and economic, Wire again give art-rock a very good name." The Kansas City Star commented, "virtually all aspects of Wire’s varied history are covered, creating a stylistic best-of composed of new material. It may be the band’s best work since 1979’s 154. [...] If influence were sufficient currency to buy one’s way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Wire would be a contender. You can count bands as diverse as R.E.M., Guided By Voices, the Manic Street Preachers, Minor Threat and the Cure as among those who confess a fondness for Wire that extends to inspiration. Red Barked Tree demonstrates that Wire can be a sustained influence; it’s a most worthy addition to the band’s estimable catalog." The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
gave the album a 4-star rating, stated that "on this showing, the feral rage of [Wire's] punk youth has matured into a pleasingly poised disaffection, with no loss of acuity," while The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, reviewing a live performance, concluded that Red Barked Tree sees Wire "operating at full strength. Theirs are succinct and eloquent songs; in a long career Wire continue to deal in short, sharp shocks." The review by Tim Klingbiel on Australian music website FasterLouder
Sound Alliance
The Sound Alliance is a new media company in Australia. It is publisher of music websites inthemix, FasterLouder, Mess+Noise and lifestyle website SameSame....
noted that "From seething political references to prophetic statements about the environment, Red Barked Tree deals with a range of subjects in a magnificently compelling and thought provoking way", and that the record "serves as an indication that Wire have returned to form in a massive way, and remain just as relevant today as they were 35 years ago".
Track listing
External links
- Red Barked Tree – Lyrics and reviews on pinkflag.com
- "Wire's Track-By-Track Guide To Red Barked Tree", The QuietusThe QuietusThe Quietus is a British online rock music and pop culture magazine, focusing on arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication led by John Doran and a group of freelance journalists and critics, some of whom have worked for other media outlets...
(interview by Wilson Neate with Colin Newman, Graham Lewis and Robert Grey) - "Seeing Red & Still Barking: Wire Interviewed", The QuietusThe QuietusThe Quietus is a British online rock music and pop culture magazine, focusing on arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication led by John Doran and a group of freelance journalists and critics, some of whom have worked for other media outlets...
(interview by Tim Burrows with Wire)