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Red Barked Tree - Wire
Red Barked Tree Image
Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

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10 out of 10
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  • Summary: Birthed from the British punk explosion, Wire's rousing experimental rock has lasted decades and continues with the release of the post-punk trio's 12th studio album.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. BBC Music
    Jan 7, 2011
    90
    Their 11th studio album is 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
  2. The A.V. Club
    Jan 11, 2011
    83
    On Red Barked Tree, that negative space - a reflection of pop's false warmth, and perhaps of humanity's greater estrangement from itself - is frozen even harder than usual.
  3. Rolling Stone
    Mar 2, 2011
    60
    Maybe with less to prove, the shapeshifters make some of their prettiest music ever here; apocalyptic vibe notwithstanding.

See all 27 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Hackskeptic
    8
    If you're looking for a trip down Nostalgia Avenue then you'll be sadly disappointed. If you're looking for invigorating, ambitious and infectious alternative rock then...BINGO!!! http://hackskeptic.com… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. AndresR
    8
    The only thing you can expect of an album by Wire, is that, save for some rhythmic patterns that have been more or less constant, it is going to be completely different from the previous one(s). Red Barked Tree is once again an example of this. Less abrasive than Send, yet as edgy as anything the band has recorded. It would be preposterous to compare it to their classic first trilogy of albums, but at least they do offer a fresh air in today´s musical landscape, something you would expect from such a veteran outfit.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. Deathromp
    6
    Initially I came across Pink Flag after a recommendation from Evan Dando of the Lemonheads (my second personal encounter, but I digress) - I can’t say what I expected - with the exception of side two off of Pink Flag - specifically, 12 X U, I didn’t find their brand of post-punk very invigorating, nor especially noteworthy - Gang of Four offered up much of the same with a similar veneer - albeit not as sleek, yet it was instantly appealing, and scaled down. Listening to their latest - I can’t help but feel like I’m listening to some other band entirely - the execution is so clean - down to the artwork - with a spirit that betrays their age. This sounds like the work of a very skilled 80’s post-punk outfit - without the dated kitsch. This veers more toward New Order new wave alternative than other contemporary of theirs I can think of. It’s refreshing to hear a band who stuck by their genre. It’s odd to get what you want from a new wave record like this without the filler + pumped up production + guilt one can feel when listening to a new wave record unabashedly. The riff on Smash is definitely a... smash. Key tracks: Please Take; A Flat Tent… Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes

See all 4 User Reviews

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