XTC was one of those bands that never really found commercial success but developed a strong cult following through their work on the fringes of popular music. The band was all about pop hooks and cramming as many of them as possible into every song. 1979’s Drums and Wires was a major turning point for the band, as this was the first time they took the unbridled energy of their previous albums and focused it into an album stuffed with strong songwriting and catchy tracks. Largely written by guitarist/lead singer Andy Partridge and bassist Colin Moulding, the album genuinely explored the outer realms of the then emerging pop music scene.

Meticulous production was one of the hallmarks of the XTC sound, and Drums and Wires was a great example of their craft. I mentioned earlier that XTC was all about cramming as many pop hooks as possible into their songs, and the fruits of their obession was a very musically complex album. Have a listen to a couple tracks and you’ll notice that just about every musical element in each song is a pop hook of some sort. All of these hooks are in turn layered on painstakingly stacked on top of each other to create a glorious pop overload.

Most of those familiar with XTC or new wave music in general will notice that this is where cult classic “Making Plans for Nigel” first appeared, but this was by no means the only notable track on this album. Highlights of the album include, “Limelight”, “Real by Reel”, “Helicopter”, and “Ten Feet Tall”. While one probably won’t most of the songs on this album on any definitive collection of the band, I’ve always felt that the combination of all the songs on this album produced the strongest offering of the sound that XTC tried to deliver.

The album might sound a bit dated now, but the album was critically important in its time. The pop music scene of the 80s was just emerging, and no one really knew what it would look like. XTC decided to take this new genre and explore it in every direction possible. It was one of the first times that we got a glimpse of the new 80s pop scene before it exploded in decadence and excess. I wouldn’t say they found pop’s limits as I suspect we’ll never find it, but they certainly did their best to look under every rock they could find.