Liverpudlian 3-piece The Wombats first infected our radios in 2007 with the release of their debut album The Wombats Proudly Present: A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation. Spawning numerous radio and indie-dancefloor hits, such as Kill the Director, Backfire at the Disco, and the highly infectious Let’s Dance to Joy Division, they inevitably set themselves up for success. Having proved their worth, they had the honour of opening the opening ceremony of Liverpool, European Capital of Culture. Now they’re back, with The Wombats Proudly Present: This Modern Glitch. With initial releases having been met with huge satisfaction for fans, the album is set to be triumphant.
Album opener Our Perfect Disease shows a darker side to the band, yet still embraces the upbeat pop sound fans love. High energy, shamelessly sing-a-long ‘ooh-s’ and hugely relatable lyrics- “we all need someone to drive us mad” make this a great album starter. The album moves seamlessly into single Tokyo (Vampires and Wolves). A perfect contemporary pop nugget, it holds lyrics about more mature subjects, whilst keeping the same level of humour and, perhaps fantasy, that makes them popular. Jump into the Fog, shows their move towards a slightly more ‘electronic’ sound, whilst Anti-D combines strings with their perfectly crafted melody to create an anthem for fans. It shows off their musical talents brilliantly, both in composing and performing, along with their progress in writing lyrics. Anti-D holds a level of emotional maturity that was perhaps not so present in the first album, with a chorus hook of “Please allow me, to be your anti-depressant.”
Latest single ‘Techno Fan’ begins surprisingly calm, building into an upbeat offering. A sure-fire indie dancefloor sensation, it doesn’t come without the choral vocals we’ve come to love. Highly infectious, it filters smoothly into ‘1996.’ Another more techno-based track, it highlights their want for experimentation. An anthem for those who miss the good-old days, it mourns the change in society, and in relationships, with seminal lyrics “we kiss with one eye on our TV set.” An ending that would surely unite fans in many-a-gig, we move through the personal ‘Walking Disasters,’ more of a return to their old sound, with the hook “You and I are just walking disasters,” into Girls/Fast Cars. A track that shows no remorse, it sets-up us up for album closer Schumacher the Champagne. An ode to washing away troubles with alcohol, it’s laden with guitars, drums and even a banjo, alongside layered vocals. A perfectly busy end to a brilliant album.
It’s infectious, uplifting and enjoyable, to say the least. The Wombats have succeeded yet again in creating an album that shows everyone why they are so loved as a band. Definitely worth spending your money on.
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