Pink Flag established Wire as a band who got to the point quickly. That impression didn’t stick for more than a few months, but the truthis that their songs have generally been uniform in length: two, three or four minutes. The anomalies in their catalogue that push running times up towards prog territory, Boiling Boy, Sleep-Walking, Torch It!, plus a few more, are all the more obvious for that reason.
At a shade below eight minutes, Hung is the latest of these sore thumbs, and it’s also one of Wire’s most vital extended pieces. It’s long, yes, but it’s not aimless. Nor is it self-indulgent. Its broad canvas is heavy and sharp-witted throughout, its shuddering momentum setting the scene for Humming’s sublime dissolve. It’s Wire breaking open form to get at further meaning, jettisoning a few more preconceptions along the way.