02 May 2011
Considering the four-year wait for This Modern Glitch, this sophomore effort isn’t a huge development from their debut, A Guide To Love, Loss And Desperation, and thankfully so. Just like its predecessor, the record will receive mixed reviews, yet opinions from either side of the spectrum should surely agree on this: although the sequel doesn’t push past The Wombats’ musical comforts, it does satiate four-years' worth of expectation.
Lead vocalist, Matthew Murphy delivers opening track, Our Perfect Disease with his trademark Liverpool accent in this fast-paced intelligent-pop track. It moves forward with the sound a few UK indie bands seem to be taking on, however this by no means should discredit the UK three-piece, as this upbeat new flavour is just the kick that indie’s sagging arse is in desperate need of.
First single, Tokyo (Vampires and Wolves) leaves you with the same feeling, as Murphy’s subtle vocals spin around electro drum beats that you can click your fingers to. Unfortunately, just when The Wombats were almost on a three-point winning streak, Jump Into The Fogthrows a spanner in the works with its repetitive chorus, formulaic pop structure and a random choir in the background, which should have been left at the alter.
The other let down track is Last Night I Dreamt, where the boys are so close to getting it right it hurts that little bit more when the broody guitars and vulnerable vocals are let down by a substandard chorus.
Conversely, simple chorus lines and lacking lyrics have and still do work in The Wombats favour, the track Girl/Fast Cars is a prime example; “I like girls, girls and fast cars,” Murphy sings. The trio may have not grown up yet but perhaps that’s precisely their point; this is merely album number two after all, and they have at least another few records in them before they are required to mature.
Although This Modern Glitch is a collection of ups and downs, each track (bar one) has a general essential feeling. Walking Disasters has ingested a fair amount of cheese lyrically; this teamed with the middle eight breakdown and ‘80s keys makes for a track which may have been better left out, but who would be satisfied with a nine-track album these days?
Album closer Schumacher The Champagne is a nice surprise and a gaudy finish for the record. “My teeth have never looked quite this yellow and my body never quite this fat. I'll pay well over the odds just to have some teenage abandoned [sic] back.”
The Wombats have offered punk rock’s mentality, indie’s nostalgia and pop’s catchy schtick in what is a hefty sophomore effort.
This Modern Glitch is out now through Warner Music
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