[7/10]
After a lengthy four year gap since the release of This Modern Glitch the Liverpool-based indie rock marsupials make a welcome return with their new track ‘Greek Tragedy’. Much of this song’s inspiration appears to be drawn from the front man Matthew ‘Murph’ Murphy’s time in Los Angeles, lyrically this paints a picture of wandering and isolation in a new city… sounds familiar. Certainly this release appears as the ‘Moving to New York’/’Tokyo (Vampires and Wolves)’ equivalent for their upcoming album Glitterbug. However ‘Greek Tragedy’ shows growth in the band’s musical dexterity, beginning with a gentle melody before that opening drum roll attacks your ear drums like a kick in the teeth, a welcome opener to their new track.
This heavy drum beat continues throughout the track, which ups the tempo and creates a catchy sound. There is no doubt ‘Greek Tragedy’ still carries many of the traditional qualities which made The Wombats such a great indie rock band in the first place, whilst adding new dynamics which are a breath of fresh air to their sound. The mix of high tempo guitar riffs, effective synths and that heavy percussion create a sound both true to the band’s original sound while still holding onto what made them great in the first place. In traditional Wombats fashion the lyrics, suggesting struggle and disorder, are cloaked under their energetic indie rock tempo; nothing too original there but if it’s not broke no need to fix it.
The track is certainly a strong return from The Wombats and ‘Greek Tragedy’ appears to be one of the stand out tracks from their upcoming release of Glitterbug, due on April 6.
