The Wombats - Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life
Four albums in, The Wombats aren’t as young as they used to be. Sounds obvious, but ‘Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life’ shows that the Liverpool trio really can’t do a lot more than they did on such hits as ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division’ over a decade ago.
Uninspired lyrics and tiresome melodies make up the majority of what is a notably bland record, chief songwriter Matthew Murphy addressing the same topics as ever – hopeless romanticism, the desire to get wasted, depression, depression, depression – but with increasingly lacklustre elocution. “I want to get college-girl drunk tonight” he whinges on Turn, “I don’t know how to deal with these New York City blues”, on White Eyes. We’ve heard it all before.
That said, the production itself is more streamlined than ever, abrasively pop but less commercial sounding than 2015’s ‘Glitterbug’. Static vocals akin to The Vaccines or Jet crop up intermittently, an interesting contrast against impeccably clean-cut guitars, while I Only Wear Black revives jaunty 00’s indie, all neon wristbands and Topshop skinny jeans.
The Wombats have been in the ‘biz long enough to know how to cater to their audience, but year on year the fans remain the same age. In refusing to grow up The Wombats have become a phase, a fad that sounds great for a bit, until you realise there’s more to life than getting pissed at parties and botching your GCSEs.
5/10
