THE WOMBATS
OH! THE OCEAN
AWAL RECORDINGS
Indie pioneers, The Wombats, have yet again created another thought-provoking album with their sixth release, Oh! The Ocean. Like most of the band’s discography, the album has a strong sonic through line and has stuck to its themes and elements, without diverting from what we love The Wombats for. Nearly 18 years since the band’s debut album, we have watched the band go from writing youthful ballads of love, loss, and desperation, to the more sophisticated topics of this new album. As much as Oh! The Ocean is yet another notable release from the band, the album is seemingly lacking with that notoriety of their previous albums.
The album has many highlights that make Oh! The Ocean an enjoyable listen, such as The Wombats’ signature sound that evokes a playful feeling within the listener, and the ever relatable lyrics on songs such as “Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come”. Oh! The Ocean is an album riddled with anxiety and themes of general poor wellbeing, which shows that the songwriting style of The Wombats has not lost its ability to paint thorough and immersive experiences for the listener.
A vast majority of these songs and their lyrics however may not have a positive impact on new listeners at times. What long-time fans of The Wombats will interpret as the band’s signature awkward charm, may come across to new listeners as plain cringey. Oh! The Ocean is most certainly an album for those with an established relationship with the band, and not somewhere I would recommend starting your Wombats journey.
Personally, the highlights of the album are the songs that divert from The Wombats typical ‘happy-go-lucky’ production and lean more towards a darker and grittier sound, which is an element that runs strong within their 2018 album Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life. These songs that manipulate a cooler guitar tone and jarring synth elements are the songs that are most likely going to leave strong impressions on the listener. Not only because of the sound, but the lyrics in these songs are the ones with the most vibrant and emotional exclamations. “My Head Is Not My Friend” is where it becomes blindingly obvious to the listener that this album, despite its mostly upbeat sound, is one of emotional turmoil and self-consciousness. These themes are prevalent in nearly every song and depict a new type of loathing within the lyrics, whether that be self or external. Oh! The Ocean is simply a passionately negative album that leaves something new to discover with every listen.
As previously stated, this album is better suited to those who are familiar with The Wombats’ quirky songwriting style, or individuals that enjoy something a little more on the nose about their music. Oh! The Ocean certainly would have benefitted if the band had continued to develop their sound in the direction that they had been heading with their past two albums, unfortunately the band’s sound retreated to what they are known for and potentially created a missed opportunity for this album to shine in all its glory.
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