Wire’s Pink Flag is best summarized as an impressionist version of punk rock, tiny vignettes of emotional outbursts captured and distorted through the lens of a group of artists unconcerned with conventional song structures. Since its release Pink Wire has gone on to influence a myriad of art rock punk bands in the years that followed (namely R.E.M., Sonic Youth, Minor Threat, and Minutemen to name just a few) and has firmly cemented the album as one of the most influential pieces of work in the post-punk lineage. It’s a listen that eschews the goal of sounding pleasing to the ear in favor of creating something that makes you feel a certain way. What you feel after listening to Pink Flag is going to depend on the day– some days it’s abrasive, others it feels transformative for me– but that strong emotional reaction is kind of the point.
Standout Songs: “Reuters”, “Three Girl Rhumba”, “Lowdown”, “Strange”, “Mannequin”
