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3 or 4 listens, and it's settling in nicely. I already really liked three of the four singles and Decline & Fall works far better as part of the album than when exposed as a single. Critical Thinking is absolutely hilarious and instantly became a favourite, so the open 5 tracks are a really good run.
Things dip slightly with Dear Stephen (which I know is a favourite of many). It's growing on me but feels a little musically lightweight and the lyric is undermined by Wire being unable to bring himself to criticise his hero or explain what he needs forgiving *for*. But then I've never quite understood the appeal of The Smiths, so a song that's inspired by would always had a hard job to convince me (a song inspired by Marr's work with The The on the other hand...)
Being Baptised took a couple of listens but I'm really getting into it now. My Brave Friend feels influenced by them covering Echo and the Bunnymen's Bring On The Dancing Horses - I quite like it musically but the lyric - however heartfelt - is clumsy.
The final four songs make a strong outro though. If the verses of Out Of Time Revival are stronger than the chorus, I can forgive it for the Futurology vibe. Deleted Scenes and Late Day Peaks are probably the most successful of the 80s influenced tracks. And then it ends with OneManMilitia which is basically The Stooges fronted by Howard Devoto, which is as close to my sweet spot as you can get (Wire's phrasing on this track is so close to Devoto's here I'd be surprised if it weren't deliberate). I love the guitars that take us out to the end of the record.
Then there are the bonus tracks, both of which are unlucky not to make the album cut. Let The Light Return reminds me of Dying Breeds (obviously a good thing), lodged itself in my brain straight away ('It's not easy...') and I love that thick keyboard sound on the outro. And it's been pointed out already that Johatsu recalls All Alone Here, but is a more successful rewrite for me - and another instant earworm ('I want you to know that I'm not a ghost yet'). As things stand I'd probably swap both for Dear Stephen and My Brave Friend, but it's still early days.
The one thing the album doesn't have is any kind of unified feel. Tracks 8-11 form an 80s E.P. but that aside there's no obvious identity. It shouldn't matter as the songs are good but it does feel more of a collection of songs than an album. Maybe that unity will reveal itself in time.
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