WB Single Review : The Wombats
Title: 1996
Label: 14th Floor Records, Bright Antenna
Release date: 7th November 2011
Taken from their new album This Modern Glitch, the Wombats’ new single 1996 features the distinctive vocals Matthew Murphy on yet another nostalgic reflection of the tribulations of his teenage years.
Sadly, quite unlike the catchy, pop-angsty, almost flamboyant songs of Love, Loss and Desperation this single brings the slightly mundane sound that can now be expected from the Wombats. It appears the only new material the Scouse lads can muster is whiny, greyscale synth pop, with a monotonous drum beat and flat harmonies to match. 1996 does pick up a little in the choruses, with jaunty synth riffs adding a bit of spice to the overall retrospective sigh of the song. There’s even promise of the song becoming one to dance to, but the blurry ‘ahhs’ take care of any slight possibility of excitement. Despite being largely negative about this single, it is certainly by no means un-listenable. The Wombats seem to have this melancholy charisma that almost makes up for the lack of musical ingenuity in some of their songs.
It’s in their nature to be melodramatic, that’s part of their charm, but it would definitely be good to hear The Wombats getting a bit more energetic about their worries like in the good old days of Kill the Director.
