Recommended Tracks: “Demon,” “Same Old Damage,” “Good Idea at the Time”
Artists You May Like: Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club, Yot Club
The Wombats are back with the release of their EP, Is This What It Feels Like to Feel Like This? – and they’re stronger than ever. If this is your introduction to The Wombats, their most recent release is the tip of an indie-rock iceberg. The group’s discography spans 16 years, and includes their most recent LP (and 1st UK #1 album), Fix Yourself, Not The World, and 2015’s Glitterbug. During the 2010’s, a wave of listeners were introduced to the band via Glitterbug‘s “Greek Tragedy,” more recently, a 2nd wave via the TikTok-viral Oliver Nelson remix. As the band (and their audience) continues to grow, its sound evolves. On Is This What It Feels Like…, the band trades shimmering synths for rougher guitar riffs, making this their rawest material yet.
The opening track, “I Think My Mind Has Made Its Mind Up,” starts strong; frontman Matthew Murphy exclaiming, “Oh, welcome to the end!” Irony is fun! The song’s got grit, though it’s not the most memorable of the lineup. It’s followed by The Wombat’s newest single, “Dressed to Kill,” which features twisting lyrics like “Closer than a close shave / I want to be shaking in the shock wave.” About the single, Murphy says, “(It) is a slightly tongue in cheek song about getting prepared for an evening that will without a doubt go sideways, but attacking it with confidence nevertheless.”
The Wombats know how to craft an anthem (à la tracks 1 and 2), but track 3, “Demon,” proves that they’re unafraid to slow it down and get personal. The song starts with a single riff and well-written verse, then continues to build to an explosive chorus. The chorus ends with Murphy repeating, “I don’t want to live a quiet life.” The give and take on this track is powerful, and lyrically, it’s one of the strongest of the EP’s 6 songs. The band masters this give and take on track 5, “Same Old Damage,” another strong contender. Murphy takes the listener on a journey through his mind, admitting, “I’ve got one too many thoughts,” and “All I feel is the same old damage,” before reaching the realization that “Deep down I yearn for the same old damage.”
The EP’s reminiscent closing track, “Good Idea at the Time,” accelerates to full speed before the fade out. During the song’s final seconds, Murphy sings, “Oh, why’ve you got to analyze it? / It was a good idea at the time / I just want to forget about it / It was a good idea at the time.” We could all stand to take a page from Murphy’s book. In an age where each moment seems to fade faster than the last, maybe it’s best to live without regrets.
