SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: WOMBO – DANGER IN FIVES

WOMBO
DANGER IN FIVES
FIRE TALK RECORDS

Ethereal vocals, inventive bass lines, and an esoteric co-mingling of sounds are at the heart of Wombo’s latest release, Danger in Fives.

The three-piece indie rock band was founded in 2016 in Louisville, KY, and consists of Sydney Chadwick (bass guitar/vocals), Cameron Lowe (guitar) and Joel Taylor (drums). This is the group’s third full-length album and sixth release overall.

Like the band’s well-received 2022 album Fairy Rust, Danger in Fives blends jaggedy instrumentation with whispery lead vocals. It feels like the lead singer of a ‘90s shoegaze band wandered into the wrong recording booth and wound up doing an album with a few members of an early ‘80s post-punk band, making for a curious but engaging sound.

“S.T. Tilted” combines an up-tempo rhythm section and disjointed guitar work to create something enjoyably chaotic. Chadwick’s dreamy vocals float over these punky instrumentals, giving the track a pleasantly unnerving vibe.

“Ugly Room” also showcases Chadwick’s lovely voice, but her bass work is the standout aspect of the track. The rhythm is simple but has a somewhat frenetic energy to it, giving the song a sense of urgency.

“Neon Bog” is probably the most ambitious number of the bunch, but it feels like it has too many ideas going on musically. A plethora of duelling instruments – including a cowbell and seemingly a kazoo – weigh the song down and make it feel a bit unfocused.

The interlude, “Really Melancholy and There Are No Words”, is an intriguing little piece. Consisting of humming, a bass line, and some heavy reverb, it feels like it could be on the soundtrack of a horror movie about an unnervingly spooky child who turns out to be a ghost. Clocking in at only 41 seconds, this oddly captivating track left me wanting more.

Wombo is a band that’s not afraid to take risks, and that is evident from Danger in Fives, an album that is decidedly artistic rather than commercial. The songs are non-linear and lack obvious hooks, but they capture the listener’s imagination with their unconventional pacing and disorderly direction.

Best tracks: “S.T. Tilted”, “Ugly Room”, “Really Melancholy and There Are No Words”.

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