The Wombats - A Guide To Love, Loss and Desperation

Seldom does a pop band come along so shamelessly simple and fun, that even the most cynical of critics can’t help but kneel over in their wake. Welcome then, to the rare but wonderful world of The Wombats and its charming debut LP ‘A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation’.

The Wombats trio boast a genuinely accessible sound while keeping their album fresh and modern. There are no worn out stories of drunken romances, lyrics to cringe over or generic ‘up-beat’ melodies. Instead, enjoy fluffy tales of youthful innocence and discovery, delivered via a power pop punch of sing-a-long choruses and jittery guitar tunes.

Album opener ‘Girls, Boys and Marsupials’ is an adorable acapella barbershop tune that sets the tone for the rest of the album. But it’s also a warning to anyone hoping for some heavy and gloomy rock ‘n’ roll, because you won’t find any here.

‘Kill the Director’, released back in June, represents everything good about the Liverpool based trio. The song is a homage to the idealistic world of Brit rom-coms in which lead singer, Matthew Murphy compares his own romance to those off the big screen (‘this is no Bridget Jones’). It’s a euphoric three minute call to arms - an untamed pop riot that has been wearing indie dance floors thin all over the country.

‘Little Miss Pipedream’ is a tale of a twisted love fantasy (‘I don’t mind if she gets hammered and goes home with other guys, because she’s my little pipedream fantasy’). Packing a jaunty yet somber seaside melody complete with some heart-warming ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ backing vocals it plays in stark contrast to the dance romps of ‘Lets Dance to Joy Division’ and ‘Backfire at the Disco’. But even with the song’s dark theme of a tormented psyche, it’s still light and impossibly fun.

‘School Uniform’ is a wonderfully endearing tale of a school bus romance (‘you were nine and I was ten…you had a Walkman, all I had was a middle part and a pen’). With its spiky guitar hooks, snappy pace and harmless lyrics, it’s the epitome of fun pop.

The Wombats prove that pop can be a whole lot more exciting than the latest brooding, leather-clad Joy Division descendant. There’s nothing ground breaking here but The Wombats work to entertain and not to break down barriers. ‘A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation’ is radio-friendly brilliance that you won’t feel guilty listening to. That is, if you’re not a heavy metal rocker, in which case it’ll probably make you hurl.