Madness ensues on The Wombats' latest track

Liverpool indie rock veterans The Wombats return with their latest single ‘Method to the Madness’ as they tease towards their fifth album.

The track opens in a much different place to where we heard them last; straying from the straight-forward indie-rock approach of 2018’s ‘Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life.’ 

Instead, the band greets us with a steady electronic drum beat, complimenting atmospheric keys and a groovy bassline.

This ballad-esque style carries on throughout the first half of the track, as frontman Murph sings about being amongst tourists on his honeymoon all whilst simultaneously being one; “Tourist traps and museum food / Saying thanks in a language that's never been used / This could be a holiday or an intersection where two roads fuse”.

The chorus swoops in with a reverbed soaked guitar, that feels vaguely reminiscent of The Neighbourhood in the mid-2010s. It is here where Murph tries to decipher some sort of order to his chaotic tendencies, “There must be some method to the madness”. The whole track feels like a reimagining of their ‘Glitterbug’ era, fusing a slightly more electronic style with their renowned indie sound.

After the second chorus the mood of the track shifts, with a subtle driving bassline creeping in alongside building drums, all while Murph begins to sing about giving into the chaos; “F**k our options, f**k the life plan / No more worry, I killed it with both hands / Just give me something to light the fuse”. The refrain repeats as the band build into a wall of sound, packed full of pounding drums and shrill shoegazey guitars. From the first listen I already knew this song is going to explode when we get to see it live.

If the rest of their new record lives up to the same quality, there is some serious potential for The Wombats to top their 2015 magnum opus ‘Glitterbug’. It’s exciting to hear the lads taking risks again as they dip their toes in a new style which, for the most part delivers.

 

Alex Usher

@alexushrr

Image: Method To The Madness Official Single Artwork