The gracefully aging punk/hardcore musician is a creature so rare it might as well be considered a cryptid, but on their new full length, The Tragic History of the Sea, Wire Lines provide hard scientific evidence that proves punk is not just a young man’s game.

Recorded straight to tape by Alex Garcia-Rivera of American Nightmare and releasing as a 12” on Blind Rage Records, The Tragic History of the Sea builds upon the foundation laid on Wire Lines’ four previous releases, sharpening the edges and refining the details, resulting in their most cohesive and focused effort to date. The post-hardcore sensibilities that have always underlined their sound are intact and more potent than ever, with beautifully dissonant guitar leads that evoke 90s greats like Jawbox and Fugazi, as well as a gruff, blue-collar melodicism that calls to mind bands like Hot Water Music and Leatherface. But their secret weapon continues to be their eclecticism. As much college rock as it is punk rock—exemplified by their excellent cover of the Pixies classic “Gouge Away”—The Tragic History of the Sea is a record that is greater than the sum of its parts, expansive in its influences but exact in its execution. To reference Sugar, Samiam, and Shudder To Think within the span of two minutes could and should be disastrous, but Wire Lines’ collective decades of experience provide them with the requisite skill to anchor ideas that would be fumbled in less capable hands.

The Tragic History of the Sea is a record whose musical success hinges upon the philosophy reflected in its themes. As vocalist Kevin Grant sings on “Demolition and Salvage”, “nostalgia’s a bitter taste”. And that’s just it. There’s no nostalgia here; no backwards-facing reverence for glory days long past. Instead, The Tragic History of the Sea is a culmination and a celebration, using Wire Lines’ shared musical history to craft a record that is designed to encapsulate this precise moment in time. Despite the vintage of its influences and the decades-long subcultural tenure of the band’s members, The Tragic History of the Sea is an album whose immediacy is palpable and undeniable.

Track Listing:
01. All Purpose Cleanser
02. Transatlantic Flight
03. Demolition and Salvage
04. I Never Signed Up For This
05. Eels
06. Collection
07. Think of Me
08. Gouge Away
09. Eraser
10. Like a Cat
11. Swing that Scythe