Released via Clue Records, Maxi arrives swiftly after the release of 40 – a commemorative reflection of The Wedding Present’s complex and fascinating catalogue across four-vinyl and four-CD formats, with the compilation’s final track being ‘Hot Wheels’ – a track from Maxi. Although Maxi follows the same concept as Mini, the 2025 model of The Wedding Present’s vehicle is discernibly grander. This really is The Wedding Present at their creative best, pushing both the boundaries of their sound and the expectations of the listener, while the lyrics provocatively paint pictures in a way that only David Gedge can manage. “As I said in my sleeve notes for 40, the songs we recorded for Maxi were written relatively quickly because I had felt particularly inspired, both lyrically – with situations occurring in my life – and musically – writing with the then recently-arrived Rachael. The resulting tracks feel bigger and moodier than we’ve had for a while… and they’re certainly feistier, thanks to The Wedding Present’s new rock queen and her armoury of guitars and pedals!” (David Gedge)