Wire are now generally accepted to be one of the most important bands in history, a seminal art-rock outfit whose influence can be heard in everyone from Blur to REM. Given that it's 25 years since they started out, however, and a full 12 since their last album proper, you could be forgiven for wondering if they still have anything to offer. Thankfully, Send puts these doubts to rest with a vengeance - it's like a distillation of all Wire's greatest moments, from their aggressive punk origins to the more cerebral, minimalist electronica the sardonic Londoners do so well. Sleek, intense and highly enigmatic, it's an exhilarating example of what pop musicians can achieve when they dare to think outside the box. A splendid late flowering from a band who clearly don't know when to say die.

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