Home > Music > CD Review > The Wombats, 'A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation'

The Wombats, 'A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation'

Bipolar pop anthems from a U.K. buzz band with wit to burn

By Scott Thill

Special to Metromix
June 23, 2008

Critic's Rating:

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Backstory: Straight outta Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA), the Wombats started out as a joke but have since become familiar with success, having become the object of a label bidding war, crossover acclaim, an NME Award and more. It's not hard to see why, as their debut full-length is stacked with bipolar pop anthems shot through with humor. Whether it's the sarcastic noise of "Let's Dance to Joy Division" or the doo-wop filler of "Tales of Girls, Boys and Marsupials," it's hard to take the Wombats too seriously about anything.

Why you should care: Even though their name could have been created by a trend-spotting robot, the Wombats bring heart and enthusiasm to the crowded indie table. And while a few distortion pedals is all that separates them from jesters like blink-182, it is their patented U.K. snark that wins out in the end.

Verdict: An energetic dose of crunchy post-punk revisionism, the Wombats' "Guide" is nicely built for a summer of love and desire. And it's got its tongue firmly planted in its cheek: "This is no Bridget Jones!" Matthew Murphy screams on the smartass "Kill the Director." "She works in a dental practice from nine until five/How does she manage?" he loudly whines on "Little Miss Pipedream," keeping a straight face the whole time. "Go, Sonic, go!" the chorus chants on "Lost in the Post," perhaps to a generation that doesn't even remember the Sega console or its most popular games. They've got more allusions and inside jokes in one song than most bands have in a catalog.

X-Factor: While at LIPA, Murphy showed off the Wombats’ song "Patricia the Stripper,'' about falling in love with a whore. "Oh, I could imagine that's a bad thing to do," McCartney reportedly responded.

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