Album Review: The Wombats – Oh! The Ocean
3 min read
I have been an ardent fan of The Wombats ever since I first discovered their debut album, A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation, which immediately captured my attention with the infectious energy and jovial lyrics. That album quickly became a soundtrack to many unforgettable moments in my life, so when I heard that they had returned with a brand-new album, Oh! The Ocean, I was more than keen to do the review. Released under AWAL Recordings, this latest effort promises to blend the nostalgic charm of their early work with exciting new sonic adventures, lets hope it delivers!
Kicking off with a typical self-deprecating opener, Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come sets the tone for the album, with a fantastic blend of introspection and incisive commentary. Can’t Say No up next, a track about being besotted, but it lacks the lyrical depth and humour, whilst the music is a bit basic. This is not continued through to Blood On The Hospital Floor, which is far more upbeat with a great lyrical hook on the chorus.
If you think you’d like a gritty, grown up version of Patricia The Stripper, then Kate Moss is the track for you – less humorous than the A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation track, with a fantastic distorted bass and great lyrics (btw it’s not in reference to Kate Moss, but her 1990’s self is used as a comparable), a distorted tone to the track which Gut-Punch continues through, though the tone of the latter track is lighter than that of the former. My Head Is Not My Friend is a predominantly light track that builds as it progresses (though largely forgettable) and acts as a rest bite from the moody gritty tempos and basslines, of which I Love America And She Hates Me makes a (welcome) return – feeling a little like a failure/rejection tinged epilogue of Moving to New York.
My favourite track on the album, The World’s Not Out To Get Me, I Am has fantastic bass & guitar. following on, Grim Reaper is pleasant enough, but quite forgettable… for me one of the few beige tracks on the album, while Reality Is A Wild Ride is incredibly catchy, but never going to be a stand out single. Rounding the final bend, penultimate track Swerve (101) is a moody banger, moody guitar and pulsating drums leading to a cacophony of sound at the chorus, and leads to the finale – Lobster – which was up there for my favourite on the album. Laid back beat and guitar sliding all over the place, with fantastic lyrics… who doesn’t love a crustaceous referenced chorus!!!!
Oh! The Ocean is a pretty decent album. The Wombats have a style to their tracks that I like… don’t get me wrong, no single track here is a patch on the high points of A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation, but I think the humour in those early tracks has abated over time, and this is to the detriment of the newer music released. I’m considering adding two tracks to my favourites (The World’s Not Out To Get Me, I Am and Lobster) which probably means they won’t make the cut, but worthy of an honourable mention.
