Ashton Newton | Freelancer
The Wombats first made a name for themselves with their 2007 single “Let’s Dance to the Joy Division,” unafraid to blend high energy music and vocals with dark, real themes. Through their first three albums, they set themselves up as a band that’s relatable and great fun to listen to.
Their newly released fourth album, “Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life” is a bit of a disappointment compared to their previous work. The high energy that The Wombats are known for is still there, but their lyrics and themes fall flat.
The first two singles that The Wombats released off of the album, “Turn” and “Lemon to a Knife Fight” were met with positive critical and fan response, so they generated a lot of buzz for the album, but those two songs are the two most memorable on the entire album. “Lemon to a Knife Fight” is catchy, fast-paced and was an exciting release over the summer. “Turn” takes things a little slower, a song about enjoying the little things. Both songs represented everything great about The Wombats.
The rest of the album still sounds like The Wombats, but I was left feeling like something was missing. They innovated a bit with their sound, this album being much more bass-heavy than their previous work, but I still felt like I’d heard all the themes already in previous songs.
The song “Lethal Combination” simply adds to the growing list of Wombats lyrics about getting blackout drunk. “I Only Wear Black” had me spending the entire three minutes anticipating the end. The imagery of melting ice cream in “Ice Cream” was distracting and took away from the meaning.
There are some positives to the album too. Their bass-heavy songs sound fresh and new with the same energy they’ve had in previous work. “White Eyes” is a fun song that, although the lyrics are a bit cheesy, is catchy and replayable. “Out of My Head” can only be described as groovy, it’s hard not to start moving with the beat.
“I Don’t Know Why I Like You but I Do” is the best mix of meaningful lyrics and catchy music. Being the final song on the album, they definitely end it on a high note, but it’s not enough to make up for the mediocrity that fills most of the album.
There’s something in this album for everybody. If you like The Wombats already, chances are you’ll enjoy the album. If this is the first time you’ve heard of The Wombats, please don’t start here.
Contact the author at anewton15@wou.edu
Photo by: http://thewombats.co.uk/
