THE WOMBATS
Is This What It Feels Like To Feel Like This? (Kobalt)
After nearly two decades on the scene, it feels like The Wombats have finally found their groove this year. So it is no surprise that this new six-song EP – Is This What It Feels Like To Feel Like This? – matches the caliber of their first UK number-one album released earlier this year, Fix Yourself, Not The World, cutting back a little on the synths in favour of huge guitar riffs.
Combining compelling storytelling with big choruses – and, in Same Old Damage, a hit of that well-loved falsetto – it makes for a perfect dose of indie-pop from a band at the top of their game. With a knack for making pretty bleak subject matter sound relatively cheerful, frontman Matthew Murphy takes the listener on a trip through his innermost thoughts from “ecstasy, tragedy, doom” opening the title track, to self-reflection in Demon. Aiming for a big finish, the standout track Good Idea At The Time pairs an anthemic chorus with a smashing of keys, which no doubt will send live audiences wild.
words ANGHARAD BISHOP
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