Release Date: April 25, 2011
It’s not common for a band to produce a full-length release as a complete set that’s legitimately well rounded. With the latest production from The Wombats, The Wombats Proudly Present… This Modern Glitch, we see an entirely fulfilled set of music that brings together many elements of polished technicality.
The record is a 10-track trail through the lyrically charming ways of three musicians from Liverpool, England. It rides along many instances of brilliant combinations of words and melodies as it showcases a way of telling stories and deconstructing situations that listeners can easily relate to.
The most primal example of these lyrics comes in the third single, “Anti-D,” before the middle of the set. It’s a cute analogy for a sweet couple acting as each other’s therapy, singing “Please allow me/To be your antidepressant/I too, I am prescribed as freely/As any decongestant.” With a lovely implementation of strings along the background of the track, this could certainly act as a sweet little clutch for young people in love. Its words are so simple but beyond most expectations of any music produced along today’s guidelines. But then again, it’s British work, not American. No wonder it’s so out-of-the-ordinary. It’s the work of those ever-so-witty foreigners.
Another example of work that surpasses musical boundaries of today’s chart scene is in the opening track “Our Perfect Disease.” Again there is a connection between the lyrics and a relationship through metaphor: “It was the perfect disease we had/Something to argue and scream about/And you will see about contracting back/And locking it somewhere it can’t get ripped out … We all need someone to drive us mad.”
A few other highlights include the nostalgic tracks “1996” and “Girls/Fast Cars” before the album is finished. They both hint at decades past in glory. The chorus of “Girls/Fast Cars” almost throws the listener back to the nearly 10-year-old “Girls & Boys” circa Good Charlotte’s golden years. Maybe the premise is just a coincidence, but either way, it was smart of them to tap into a bit of historical pride.
Each song plays out as some sort of anthem. If it were amplified in volume in front of thousands of people, the words will have even more significance as the people potentially join together and shout the words in unity. It can also easily be seen as a good record to take on the road.
This Modern Glitch has already performed incredibly well at the heights of British charts. It’s no doubt that the very words of the Wombats will provide a good time for British fans to sing out their hearts together.
The greatest success of the record is its ability to stay consistent and strong from beginning to end. Not only that, the sound is so current it’s no wonder it’s become so successful. It sounds a lot like Two Door Cinema Club, a healthy comparison. The quick beats produced here by The Wombats, accompanied by innovative guitar riffs, allow for the band to express their emotions thoughtfully and with cleverness. The electronic tunes provide electricity that help carry the record through to a steady place of greatness.
The Wombats – The Wombats Proudly Present… This Modern Glitch Tracklist:
- “Our Perfect Disease”
- “Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)”
- “Jump Into The Fog”
- “Anti-D”
- “Last Night I Dreamt…”
- “Techno Fan”
- “1996”
- “Walking Disasters”
- “Girls/Fast Cars”
- “Schumacher The Champagne”
