Send
by Wire
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
    91
    In short, they "rock." Finally.
  2. The Wire
    90
    A taut, brutal collection which is as strong as anything they've released in their previous incarnations. [June 2003, p.65]
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  3. PopMatters
    90
    Throughout Send, Wire strike the right compromise, pushing their songs to brink of chaos without ever allowing them to disintegrate.
  5. Magnet
    90
    Shooting through the proceedings is a relentless, apocalyptic jitteriness that leaves you teetering on the edge of your chaise. [#58, p.84]
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  6. Mojo
    90
    A phenomenal album.... As always, Wire embrace the technology of the day while always sounding somehow out of time. [May 2003, p.91]
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  7. Entertainment Weekly
    83
    Something of a return to the style of earlier work. [16 May 2003, p.72]
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  8. AllMusic
    80
    Dynamic, taut, feisty and clever as ever, Send is this group's fourth-best album.
  9. The A.V. Club
    80
    The band has rarely sounded so alive.
  10. Uncut
    80
    Send is pure gristle, a vicious statement of musical intent. [Jul 2003, p.129]
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  11. Splendid
    80
    If you can't quite muster truly fervid enthusiasm for Send, it's probably due, in some part, to the matter-of-factness of its presentation. There is much here to be excited about, but carefully cultivated detachment seems to be Wire's preferred modus operandi.
  12. Austin Chronicle
    78
    Forget the new school of post-punk bands. None of them approach the intensity and rhythmic engagement of Wire, still flying the pink flag of twisted rock after all these years.
  13. Pitchfork
    75
    In a bizarre twist, the whole becomes far less than the sum of its parts; less than anything close to a new album, less than even a new EP, and certainly less than Wire has proven themselves capable of.
  14. Q Magazine
    70
    It's startlingly spirited stuff. [Aug 2003, p.116]
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  15. Rolling Stone
    70
    It's no surprise that Wire still aspire to make complex, strange punk; the shocker is that the spine-tingling Send sounds fresher than the pop punk currently being generated by pups half their age.

Awards & Rankings

47
#47 Best Album of 2003
86
#86 Most Shared Album of 2003

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 1 out of 5
  1. MattJacks2003
    Mar 9, 2019
    10
    This is the most wired up album that wires you up in the pants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  2. ScottS
    Jan 27, 2006
    10
    I own three CDs by this band (Send, A Bell is A Cup Until it is Struck, and The Ideal Copy). There is no common denominator...everything I own three CDs by this band (Send, A Bell is A Cup Until it is Struck, and The Ideal Copy). There is no common denominator...everything sounds different. Better yet, all their stuff seems to break new ground in rock. Send rocks heavily in a sort of post-punk, heavily synthesized and brilliantly mixed fashion. It's difficult not to tap your toes and wince as your eardrums are accosted by harsh vocals, guitars, and effects. Not to mention a consistent fast drum beat that keeps the rocous sound frothing and boiling without falling apart. What Wire has done here seems like a logical extension of their early experimental punk and 80s synth pop stuff. The lyrics continue to be sparse and artsy, the music is just...different. I cannot think of any other band that is breaking new ground in musical frontiers 30 years after their first album. Very impressive.… Full Review »
  3. olznillzthaman
    May 1, 2003
    10
    Absoultely brilliant. What more is there to say?
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