The Wombats
A Guide To Love, Loss & Desperation

THE REVIEW

The Wombats are a trio from Liverpool, who met at the prestigious "Paul McCartney's Institute For Performing Arts", and are currently fully benefiting from the so-called "NME effect", which is the almost obsessive attention that the well-known English weekly magazine devotes to dozens of new bands, often still without a record deal (and sometimes even without talent, see the various Twang and Pigeon Detectives): enthusiastic concert reviews, lengthy interviews, and inclusion in last year's "NME Rock'n'Roll Riot Tour" alongside the Enemy among other things.

But unlike their "colleagues" Kaiser Chiefs and Babyshambles, these youngsters stay well away from the tawdry glam sheen that increasingly surrounds the new musical names of Albion: the impression given by this debut (however strangely dismissed with an irritated seven by the magazine mentioned above) is indeed that of a solid, enjoyable album, and at times even carefree yet not frivolous. The primary ingredient that emerges from these thirteen tracks is irony, maximally expressed in the blockbuster single "Let's Dance To Joy Division", a track with great rhythm and an irresistible chorus, as well as in "Kill The Director" (in which the line "There is no Bridget Jones" is repeated almost to infinity) and in the a cappella chorus of the opening "Tales Of Boys, Girls And Marsupials". The voice of singer and guitarist Murph is supported by a large number of choirs and vocal harmonies, which fit well with the crystalline power pop of pure British origin churned out by the instruments.

The right adjective for this album is therefore "engaging", as it brings melodies that will be hard to shake off.