Liverpool trio The Wombats have seen a great amount of success since their debut as a hopeful and youthful indie-rock outfit in 2007. Fast forward a decade or so and the band are back with 'Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life', an eleven-track album with unrelenting stamina and wall to wall blistering cuts.
Psychedelic number 'Cheetah Tongue' opens the album with a fast-paced ode to to the pressures of adulthood. Sounding quite unlike anything they've done before, it's a fun hit with a millennial twist that puts you in the right mood for the rest of the album to follow.
Previously heard cut 'Lemon To A Knife fight' comes next with its blistering energy and is perfect for belting out in your bedroom, alone or with friends. The Drake-inspired tune 'Turn' adopts a more laidback vibe whilst offering up one of the best compliments of 2018 so far in the form of "I like the way your brain works".
'Black Flamingo' is quintessentially The Wombats with upbeat and catchy riffs that bury into your soul. "I want to love you but it hurts, hurts, hurts" sings frontman Matthew Murphy on the track that evokes a similar sound to previous records, most notably 2007's 'A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation'.
Slowing the pace, 'Lethal Combination' allows for a pause in the heavier songs for the briefest of moments with lyricism that stays true to the band's roots. 'Out Of My Head' is a bass-driven bittersweet anthem for the ages, or at least the upcoming festival season but it works with its satirical tone and layered intensity.
Definitely a case of 'save the best until last', The Wombats keep fans gripped and end on a positive note with 'I Don't Know Why I Like You But I Do'. Paired with 'Cheetah Tongue' and 'Turn', these three are the most remarkable and essential listens from 'Beautiful People Will ruin Your Life'. All in all, The Wombats' fourth album is consistently exceptional, both melodically and lyrically.
Words Lauren Wade
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