Release of the Week 12/11: The Wombats ‘Oceans’
British sensations The Wombats have had a lot of success in Australia, with frequent plays on Triple J and a prominent spot on every major festival lineup this year. But what is it that has helped the Liverpudlians become honorary Australians? Is it the cute native animal in their name? Or is it because of their diverse sounding, easy listening tracks? While the fluffy animal certainly plays a part, it is tracks like ‘Oceans’ that prove it is most definitely the latter.
One of the new tracks on the the recently released deluxe edition of their 2018 album Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life, it’s a shame ‘Oceans’ wasn’t part of the original release. Where the album highlighted The Wombats’ ability to gently blend rock and pop, this track exemplifies it. Sounding like something from the finale of a gloriously trashy teen rom-com, ‘Oceans’ is upbeat, bright and catchy. This is in no small part because of the lyrics, which depict a tale of romance, relationships and frustration. The chorus is particularly memorable, with the repeated line “are we trying to sell the ocean to the sea” not only summing up the song’s themes but also how the band utilises ear-catching conventions of the pop genre. With steady rock drums mixed with some groovy electronic keys and synth work, you’d be forgiven for mistaking this for an Empire of the Sun or MGMT song. However, it is this bright, electronic sound that gives the track its value, as it lifts the heaviness of their rock instrumentation. Compared to other tracks from the band, there isn’t a deep bass or a specific guitar riff. Instead, the rock instrumentation is used to give the chorus some energy, raising the intensity to match the singer. The result is a pop song from and indie rock band, giving the listener the best of both worlds.
The deluxe edition of Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life contains some fantastic tracks, like the acoustic version of ‘Lethal Combination’ and ‘Bee-Sting’, for which the band just released a fun film clip. ‘Oceans’, with its catchy lyrics and colourful sound, is a perfect summary of what makes the UK indie rock band so popular. The Wombats will be playing at the 2018 Spilt Milk Festival in Canberra on 17 November.
