Short news item on the new Malka Spigel album on The Quietus today. Interesting stuff and the collaborators on it sound like it could be very intriguing.
The real prize is the stream of a new tune, See It Sideways. Personally, I'm a bit in two minds about it. I love Malka's vocal, but the tune is a little...monotonous. Which is a funny thing to be lambasting anything Wire-related about given my favourite Wire numbers are those which are the more single-minded.
I've had a copy here for a while (I did the website, so let me know if it blows up your PC or something), and I'd say it's by far the best thing with Malka's name on (and I liked My Pet Fish a lot). European Weather in particular is achingly beautiful, but there's not a dud on the album.
Thank you Mr and Mrs Hq! Album received in post this morning - turns out I was one of the lucky first 100 to get the "super special mail order only version". My signed print is of bunches of bananas - so I'll be keeping my eyes PEELED for any future sessions/dates.
You can all groan now - even by my standards that joke was terrible.
I've had a few listens. I was one of the lucky ones to get the "special" issue - good to see Swim pushing the quality button on the packaging - I'd like to see something similar for Wire! As for music itself - it's quite far removed from Githead and has its own style, definitely not Wire like as some web reviews have said - indeed it's hard to believe a member of Wire could do the production of something so...erm... pleasant. Malka has a great voice. Overall solid, enjoyable but Oracle's "Tree" is still the highpoint for me.
I like it very much. Great production, great instrumentation, great musicians being involved. IMO, it's a highly organic album, albeit all the different places of recording and production. Oh, and thank very much for the nice postcard... Pity, there won't be a tour or at least some concerts. I'm soooo lost in sound...
On the other hand, can't wait to hear the "Top secret and magnificent" stuff from Wire!