The Wombats Are Suckers For Temptation With ‘Can’t Say No’

Ahead of their new album, ‘Oh! The Ocean’, which is to be lovingly gifted to us on Valentine’s Day, The Wombats have released a fourth single, ‘Can’t Say No’, wrapped in the reverie of unlikely thrills.

“We summon the demons that we repress” sings lead singer, Matthew Murphy. The Liverpudlian band recognise that people’s lust for life comes in bursts and often in the most unexpected places; reflected in the contrast between the sweet, melodic tune and the softness of Murphy’s voice as he describes the controversial pleasures they can’t resist: “Let's go vandalize a hearse / Steal some cash from your mother's purse” he coercively sings, also pleading “Just show me the dotted line / You know I'll sign it every time”. ‘Can’t Say No’ adores impulsiveness.

It bears similarity to 2018’s ‘Lethal Combination’, which describes a couple “too lost for therapy” and chaotically declares “if you wake up feeling happy, you’re doing it wrong”. They’re splendid at these oxymoronic songs that feel dreamy despite having underlayers of escapism and touching on potentially unhealthy behaviours and patterns.

The use of ‘we’ throughout ‘Can’t Say No’ also emphasises that shared experience: it could be about a reckless couple or a reference to a whole generation of passionate yet unsettled romantics.

The mellow bassline from Tord Øverland Knudsen helps give the track that sentimental feel, and around the two-minute mark, it hushes to nothing but an off-beat clap as Murphy’s voice is isolated from the music for a second and he sings “Every bad idea just feels exactly like a great idea” which really grounds the track before the final round of the chorus.

The music video for ‘Can’t Say No’ is out now and features Murphy, who also has writing credits for the track alongside Eli Hirsch, chasing a reversing car before it begins moving forward and chasing him. Why was he chasing the car? Who knows, but it’s a strong metaphor for the allure of self-destructive actions that aren’t always logical but are tempting regardless.

The Wombats are celebrating their new album with 10 intimate, record-store dates from the 13th February before embarking on an arena tour in March.

Kai Palmer

@kailewispalmer

Image: ‘Oh! The Ocean!’ Official Album Cover

 

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