Glitter Bug / The WombatsWritten by - Hannah Peebles
It has been quite a journey since their debut LP was released back in 2007 and now the Liverpudlian trio are back with their third studio album 'Glitterbug'
The new album's theme has stuck with that of it's predressor 'This Modern Glitch' by taking the electro-indie approach to their music. I positioned it somewhere between Passion Pit for the electronic feel and The 1975 due to their body twisting, foot tapping guitar riffs.
Instead of the New York move that was diarised in 'A Guide to Love, Loss and Depression', the inspiration for the new album came from visits to LA and a "fictional" relationship in the city. Frontman Matthew 'Murph' Murphy said in a statement about the release: "That became the main inspiration for most of the songs, this false world that I'd create for myself". This honest statement almost makes the album lack meaning and emotion knowing that it is 'false'. This comes across prominently in the empty 'Isabel', where he talks about how he has been emotionally damaged by a girl who is 'ripping his life apart'. Usually the slowed down tempo songs are full of emotion and hurt and the listener empathises with the singer, resulting in an attachment to this song. That state lacks with this album.
However, there are a few stand out songs within the album that sees the trio go from full on indie to full on pop. 'Give Me A Try', 'Greek Tragedy' and 'Headspace' are the three standout tracks for me. 'Emoticons' was another standout track on the album, which would easily fit in with a Radio 1 playlist. This song makes inroads into the difficulty of modern technology to communicate feelings using 'emoticons' to make a situation better but ultimately just make it worse. These songs are the diamonds in the coal mine and will definitely be seeing some radio-play.
The album as a whole is a journey through over-synthesised sex and drugs-based juvenile escapades intertwined with indie-disco electro pop beats. Granted, I may not be their prime demographic anymore as I was a fan of their debut release nearly a decade ago; but yet, their music still appeals to the teenager indie kid who would be found at festivals jumping up and down to them as they perform on stage. Unfortunately, people much like myself who listened to their debut at just the right time have probably grown up and grown out of their traditional indie sound. Don't get me wrong, the stand out songs I have mentioned will be getting turned up when I hear them on the radio and even an occasional singalong. It's a disappointing effort from a band that took a four year gap to write and produce 'Glitterbug' but granted, it will certainly please their fans