CD of The Week

The Wombats are back with their second album, officially titled The Wombats Proudly Present…This Modern Glitch, which seems appropriate considering the time frame in which the record was released. Back in September 2010, it was first announced that “Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)” would be the first single from the upcoming record, which at the time was “near completion”. Unfortunately, it did not see the light of day until seven months later! Was it worth the wait? Well, that depends, do you like The Wombats?

The best way to describe it is this is a Wombats record. If you heard their debut, you know what they’re about. They’re a fun, quirky, entertaining band. They write about silly things (school uniforms, disastrous dates, drama with girls, etc) but that’s what makes them awesome. Many bands nowadays write songs about, well, things that I don’t understand. They try to be clever, or mysterious. Glitch is along the same lines as their debut, though I must say, they still have managed to progress as band but without compromising who they are.

Their “immaturity” still comes out in some songs like “Girls/Fast Cars”, where they sing about, what else, but how they like girls and fast cars. “Techno Fan” is about clubbing. “1996” is about how things were different 15 years ago. Not the deepest of topics there. But they do get a little more serious in songs like “Jump into the Fog”, where they sing about making bad decisions, and taking chances for the sake of taking chances.

Musically, the record has gone in the direction that many albums out of the UK have gone recently: the way of synth. They don’t overdo it though, so the added electronic sound fits well. It adds to the fun of the record, especially in songs like “Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)”, where the beat kicks in right at the chorus and makes you want to sing the lyrics as loud as you can.

The Wombats have taken a step forward, not a big step mind you, but a step none the less. They grew up a little, but still joked around putting out fun, singable, danceable songs. If you liked their debut, this record will be right up your alley. I did, so I do like this record, I just hope they continue being themselves going forward, and never totally grow up.