Review Summary: The Wombats album we deserve.
The Wombats are one of the few Indie-Pop groups that have gotten the art of Synth-Pop right. They create numerous synth sounds that embrace the modern era instead of pay tribute to the days of its creation. Since 2009 The Wombats have ferociously bombarded us with powerful singles that have amassed them a good following. To say there is potential in this trio is an understatement; they are enormously talented. So why is it that this band can't seem to garner the acclaim they deserve？ The sad fact is, although their singles are amazing, their albums aren't as stellar. Their debut album
A Guide to Love, Loss, and Depression had some great singles, but was filled to the brim with endless filler that bored where it should have excited. Their sophomore album
This Modern Glitch was even more frustrating considering it contained my favorite Wombats song in
Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves) but couldn't match the rest of their songs with the energy of their singles. Being relegated to a singles band is commercially lucrative, but critically and creatively stagnant. Thank our lucky stars that Matt Murphy changed for the better the third time around.
Glitterbug is the breakthrough album The Wombats desperately needed. It is vibrant, creative, energetic, and lacks the boring filler that plagued their first two releases. One of the most surprising songs on the album is
Emoticon. At first glance, the track sounds like a cringey pop culture reference, but on listening, it becomes an excellent track. It features a gorgeous arrangement of percussion and synth sounds with lyrics that express how emoticons fail at their only job, to express our complex emotions in simple ways.
The English Summer does a more simple arrangement, relying on a fast pacing with heavy guitar and percussion arrangements.
Pink Lemonade is another excellent "Back to Basics" tune, with more reliance on base sounds and small guitar notes that boost the vocals.
My personal favorite track of the album is
Be Your Shadow. Utilizing quick EDM pacing, pumping percussion, and brilliant Synth-Pop utilization. Once again The Wombats prove themselves aficionados of Synthesizers. They use multiple modern sounds of Synthesizers as a tool, not a gimmick. It is used to emphasize the overall sound, not to distract from it. That is The Wombats major strength, and the very strength they didn't forget while adapting their sound for change.
Glitterbug is an excellent album that shows Matt Murphy is no fool. He is more than willing to listen to his critics and adapt to their criticisms. With this third record, The Wombats create a coherent album that creates the usual beautiful singles, without forgetting the meat of the album itself. Even with them changing their sound in new ways, they have not forgotten the aspects that made them famous, and thus we are given the best of both worlds.
Glitterbug is The Wombats album we deserve and paves the way for a bright future; both for Synth-Pop, and for this band.
