It’s been four years since Liverpudlian’s The Wombats dropped their debut record and made indie kids the world over light up the dance floors with the undeniable energy of “Let’s Dance To Joy Division” and “Moving To New York”. The three piece are finally preparing to release their sophomore effort This Modern Glitch, which features more of the same fast-paced, anthemic, sing-along tracks that have already won them adoration in Australia with the single “Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)” taking out the number eight position in Triple J’s Hottest 100 for 2010.
As an album This Modern Glitch is a collection of well written indie pop that is light and airy like fairy floss and perfect for unwinding after a long day at the office. Single “Jump Into The Fog” has received extensive airplay on local radio and it showcases the band’s talent for penning a catchy, dance worthy hit. Other album highlights include “Last Night I Dreamt” with its gorgeous harmonies and “1996” that starts out as a clichéd 80’s love affair and ends in a haze of soaring vocals and brooding guitars.
The Wombats have always possessed a seamless ability to spill out infectious hooks with a vocal delivery that is passionate enough to overcome the fact that their songs all follow the same formula; and ultimately are nothing more than meaningless feel-good tunes that will lift you out of a bad mood, but are severely lacking in substance and originality. The tracks are more synth heavy than their earlier work which lends This Modern Glitch an air of 80’s nostalgia that is far too prevalent in music these days, but overall The Wombats have produced another fine record that will appeal to old and new fans alike with the joyous nature of their sounds that are impossible not to love.
Review Score: 7/10
