Liverpool alt-rock / dance / punk / pop band the Wombats are about to release their second full album, called The Wombats Proudly Present…This Modern Glitch. (Yeah, I know, it’s a mouthful – but their first released in the UK was called The Wombats Proudly Present: A Guide to Love Loss and Desperation, so I guess they wanted to continue the trend.) There’s been a lot of hype surrounding this sophomore effort overseas. Three singles have already been released in Britain (“Tokyo [Vampires and Wolves],” “Jump in the Fog,” and “Anti-D”); they hosted a special album launch party at the tony Supper Club last week; and this week, the new album is currently riding high as this week’s Album of the Week on both Zane Lowe‘s evening BBC Radio1 program and XFM over there.
And on the whole, the hype is deserved. The proceedings start in style with “One Perfect Disease,” touching on a common subject for pop songs: being in a toxic relationship. In the light of the popularity of Phoenix‘s more dancey songs like “1901,” America should take a shine to this beat-perfect, synthy dance anthem. The mad beats continue into “Tokyo (Vampire and Wolves)”: the Japanese capitals seems a random choice for a title, but I’m not going to complain when something’s got an amazing groove. “Techno Fan” and “Walking Disasters” might not be stellar in the lyric department but again, the Wombats come through with catchy tunes.
Their current single in the UK, “Anti-D” (music video below), is unique with emotional violin and tender lyrics that might make you cry. (It’s based on lead singer Matthew Murphy‘s own addiction to anti-depressants.) It’s not hard to see this soundtracking a rom-com in the near future. Or perhaps the song after it, “Last Night I Dreamt,” which has surprisingly amusing yet incisive lyrics for a pop song: “I tend to cry in a room full of laughter / as the cheese finally slipped off of its cracker / I don’t know / I just prepare to let it go.” When the Wombats employ humor, it’s total win: in “Girls and Fast Cars,” Murphy insists, “I’m a man of simple tastes / no whiskey or caviar / what I feel is what I say / I’m not trying to be smart / I like girls…girls and fast cars!” before breaking out into a sweeping chorus.
“Jump into the Fog” seemed like a strange choice for first single; it’s not bad, but it’s slow and lumbers along – not exactly what you want to hear from a dance punk band. Of a similar vein is “1996,” which is, disappointedly, not as exciting as Neon Trees‘ “1983,” talking instead about “building telescopes” and “kissing with one eye on the TV set.” The guitar work is admirable though. The closing track, “Schumacher the Champagne,” comes in from left field compared to the whole of the album. It’s the heaviest track on the album and not designed for dancing; perhaps it should be viewed more as a grand parting shot? But even if you don’t like this song, you can’t ignore the well-crafted electronic indie rock/pop on the rest of The Wombats Proudly Present…This Modern Glitch. Yep, English electropop is alive and well – and as usual, excellent.
The Wombats Proudly Present…This Modern Glitch will be released in North America digitally on April 25 and physically on April 26 via Bright Antenna.
Track Listing:
01. Our Perfect Disease
02. Tokyo (Vampires and Wolves)
03. Jump into the Fog
04. Anti-D
05. Last Night I Dreamt
06. Techno Fan
07. 1996
08. Walking Disasters
09. Girls and Fast Cars
10. Schumacher the Champagne
Tour Dates:
May 31 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City
Jun 01 – Troubadour / Los Angeles
June 03 – Rickshaw (Popscene) / San Francisco
The Wombats: website | myspace
