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They’ve got their slower numbers like ‘Lethal Combination’ and word-for-word anthems like ‘Greek Tragedy’, but if you’re looking for high energy, here are some of their best up-tempo tunes.
‘Kill the Director’
From their debut, ‘A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation’, this track has a sound similar to that of The Kooks’ music of the same era with their cool and catchy songs of casual anguish that are quickly masked with booze and dry humour. ‘Kill the Director’ has a snappy chorus, (“if this is a rom-com kill the director”) and with references to Eastenders and Bridget Jones, it’s an incredibly endearing product of the UK indie-scene in 2007.
‘Moving to New York’
Here, lead singer Matthew Murphy sings of moving to the city that never sleeps because of his insomnia. A riveting intro followed by Murphy shouting “I’ve just had the craziest week” makes it the musical equivalent of a (sleep deprived) yapper who just keeps on chatting your ear off and convincing you to dance – and you end up loving it.
‘Tokyo (Vampire & Wolves)’
On their second album, The Wombats smoothed out their debut’s choppy guitars with glimmering synths, moving closer to pop, but still singing about bars (in Tokyo). It’s exciting with glittery, descending “ah-ah-ah’s” emerging from behind the main vocals that make this layered track a fun one.
‘Lemon to a Knife Fight’
From 2018’s ‘Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life’, the band comfortably pushed their typical sound into continuous heights, and for a track about being somewhat out of their depth, The Wombats certainly knew where they stood with this one. Not only does the rhythm of the guitars egging you on, but the comparing verses, “I kick and you like to punch / I’m unhinged and you’re undone” are amusing and catchy too.
‘If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You’
“I’ll get out of bed, stop listening to Radiohead” sings Murphy, on their 2022 album (‘Fix Yourself, Not the World’) about self-growth and trying to be realistic. One of those realities is recognising an intense attachment, but despite the introspective themes and slight hints at obsession, this track is more akin to their original sound than some of the electric influences they introduced after their debut and packs a punch.
‘Blood On The Hospital Floor’
They must find it so easy to do this by now. But even so, 20 years into their career and they’re releasing fast-paced, guitar-based indie records that don’t sound like a band trying to rehash their early days. It’s surprisingly punky, considering it’s their 6th album, (‘Oh! The Ocean’), proving their talent is ever-growing and they know just how to balance being recognisable without being overly repetitive.
‘Gut-Punch’
Also, from ‘Oh! The Ocean’, while ‘Blood On The Hospital Floor’ showed that they can tap into their roots and make it sound new, the other half of the album experiments with darker sounds (‘Grim Reaper’ , ‘Swerve (101)’) but also continues to draw on electro-pop: like with ‘Gut-Punch’. It stands out as one of the album's most lively, beginning with a hazy synth and then into a steady, pulsing drum-beat as Murphy rhymes “gut-punch” with “soul crush” and “does much”.
It’s simplistic yet stimulating, and the repetitiveness adds to the beat, making it a positively mindless derivation from the dynamic depictions of love and lust they’re well known for.
The Wombats are heading out on tour for the second half of the year, with dates across Europe, America, Canada and Australia.
Kai Palmer
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