It Seems
It Seems is the fifth studio album by Colin Newman, lead singer of post-punk band Wire. It was released in 1988 by Crammed Discs.
| It Seems | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Studio | Daylight Studios, Brussels | |||
| Genre | Post-punk | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Crammed Discs | |||
| Producer | Colin Newman, Giles Martin | |||
| Colin Newman chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
It Seems built on the reflective and highly orchestrated of his 1986 album Commercial Suicide, albeit with far more use of sequencers – something Newman would continue to work with for a number of years. Both Commercial Suicide and It Seems featured Malka Spigel, who married Newman in 1986, and who has been included in all subsequent solo and collaborative work.[2]
Critical reception
The album received positive reviews. Jim Derogatis and Wilson Neate, writing in Trouser Press, said that It Seems built on what they called the "spacious, minimalist approach" of Newman's 1986 album Commercial Suicide, saying that It Seems "refines this sound and has several songs ('Quite Unrehearsed,' 'Round & Round' and the title track) that are as striking as anything Wire recorded."[3] Neate, writing for AllMusic, noted the album's "serene, reflective quality" and said that it "laid the foundation" for Newman's subsequent exploration of electronic music.[1] Option magazine called it "dreamily beautiful."[4]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Colin Newman, unless otherwise noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Quite Unrehearsed" | 4:16 | |
| 2. | "Can't Help Being" | 3:25 | |
| 3. | "Rite of Life" | Newman/Bonnar/Spigel | 3:36 |
| 4. | "An Impressive Beginning" | Newman/Bonnar | 3:32 |
| 5. | "It Seems" | Newman/Bonnar | 4:02 |
| 6. | "Better Late Than Never" | Newman/Bonnar | 4:16 |
| 7. | "Not Being in Warsaw" | 4:14 | |
| 8. | "At Rest" | 4:01 | |
| 9. | "Convolutions" | 3:22 | |
| 10. | "Round and Round" | Newman/Spigel | 4:11 |
| 11. | "Si Tu Attends" | Angelo/Newman | 3:52 |
Personnel
- Colin Newman – instruments, vocals
- Malka Spigel – instruments, vocals
- John Bonnar – instruments, vocals
- Robert Gotobed – drums
- Luc van Lieshout – trumpet
- Rino Christ – French horn
- Jean-Paul Danhier – trombone
- Marc Hollander – clarinet
- Engineered by Giles Martin
- Produced by Colin Newman and Giles Martin
References
- Neate, Wilson. It Seems at AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
- Neate, Wilson. Colin Newman at AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
- DeRogatis, Jim; Neate, Wilson. "TrouserPress.com :: Wire". TrouserPress.com. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- Option. Sonic Options Network. 1988.