Gemma Cockrell
When you hear that a band are recording their album across three different countries, I think it’s natural to have your doubts and reservations. Surely it would be impossible to record an album without being in the same room, let alone the same country? However, The Wombats prove that it is in fact possible. Now for the next question, is the music any good? Gemma Cockrell shares her thoughts.
My first impression of the album was that the concept behind the record was very interesting, based on the title. No matter what state the world is in, the only thing we can do as individuals is to fix our own actions, and minimise what we are doing to contribute to the mess. I was intrigued to see what direction the band would take this theme in, especially since I had heard the lead single Method to the Madness, which showed signs that they had experimented with their renowned ‘British indie band’ sound – an experimentation that was definitely necessary, with the sound having become a bit overdone and stale over the years.
However, even though I appreciate the attempts to experiment, I couldn’t help but feel that the lead single was a bit… well, boring, to be honest. It is a very slow burner, which doesn’t pick up until about 3-minutes in. It has potential, but the second half of the track needed to begin earlier if it was going to have an impact. The second most experimental track is the album closer Fix Yourself, Then the World (Reach Beyond Your Fingers). I thought the spin that this puts on the album title was very interesting, and this ‘not quite a title track’ may be another slow burner but it is much more interesting and layered than their first attempt.
There is absolutely no doubt that these songs will go down an absolute treat on the main stages of UK festivals this summer
So, except for these two experimentations, what does the rest of the album offer? Well, the answer is… a lot of generic British indie. However, some of these tunes that are so catchy that I don’t mind that I’ve heard similar sounding songs in the past, particularly If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming with You, People Don’t Change People, Time Does, Everything I Love Is Going To Die, and Work Is Easy, Life Is Hard. There is absolutely no doubt that these songs will go down an absolute treat on the main stages of UK festivals this summer, but this isn’t an album that is going to change the music industry or break any boundaries in the indie scene – for the most part, it simply captures everything expected from an indie band 15 years deep into their career.
Gemma Cockrell
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article image courtesy of @wombatsofficial via @instagram.com. No changes were made to this image.
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