6/10

For many of the familiar names in the post-punk scene like The Jesus And Mary Chain and Slowdive, it took a prolonged hiatus for these groups to find their footing once again, many of which were gone for more than two decades before their comebacks. But for Wire, there has been no time for reflection or pauses as the group's urgency and prolific attitude has seen them through the last 40+ years together. And after making some serious noise with their 2017 album 'Silver / Lead', they return with 'Mind Hive', a bold and fascinating collection of divisive ideas.

Despite now onto their seventeenth studio release and first emerging in the late 1970s, Wire have never married themselves to a particular era but instead moved with the times in order to keep their sound fresh and engaging. 'Mind Hive' proves to be the perfect example of their ever-changing dynamic as the record seems to enjoy itself as a chameleon of modern indie-rock. Never really settling itself too long on one individual direction, the album looks to meander and worm its way from one track to the next, making each single a distinct surprise for the listener and keeping that intrigue as high as possible.

Yet while there is plenty to applaud on this new release, 'Mind Hive' does suffer from a lack of identity, which can become a double-edged sword in this case. While its eclectic nature makes for an interesting listen, it just doesn't have much in terms of memorability, with much of the cuts simply filling the gaps between their more noticeable additions.