Githead — Landing

When Colin Newman's not leading the continued onslaught on much-loved post-punk outfit Wire, he spends time twiddling knobs and strumming strings in Githead, a like-minded pop/rock outfit now on to their fourth release, Landing.

The album is inherently inoffensive and at the risk of sounding like a complete broomhead, Landing would likely go unnoticed if it wasn't for Newman's critical rep. The disc is awash in gender neutral vocals, a seamless blend of emotionless deliveries from Newman and bandmate Malka Spigel that comes off a bit shoegazer-ish, especially when paired with churning, slightly-warped guitars and droning song structures.

Lead single "Take Off" is probably the best starting point, recalling bands like Stereolab and Ride. And yet the band mix things up with scorchers like "Over The Limit," which sounds very much like early days Newman, all shouty and pissed off.

You'd have to dig pretty deep into the Wire fanbase to find a true interest in a band like Githead, and while they're not the most compelling outfit in recent years, their longevity and moderate quality makes them more than a footnote.