THE WOMBATS' debut album 'A Guide To Love, Loss & Desperation' swept all before it in 2008, so 2009 sees them returning to the fray as something akin to conquering Indie Heroes.
Their confidence is palpable, too. Production duties come courtesy of Tore Johansen (Cardigans, Franz Ferdinand) and mixing is assigned to Tom Lord-Alge (Manics and many more), so our Liverpudlian contenders have clearly been working up a network of Wunderkinds to keep them on top.
On the surface, there's nowt really wrong with 'My Circuitboard City', either. It's got the requisite sawn-off guitar riff, irritatingly poppy keyboard motif and “da da da da” singa-longa-Wombats bit and will surely do the business. It's just that...well, four or five years ago this herky-jerky stuff sounded great when The Futureheads' debut album came along and dusted the cobwebs from the Post-Punk corners, but with the likes of Maximo Park, We Are Scientists and just TOO MANY BANDS like them running too far with the ball, it's all got rather stale.
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Consequently, when T'Wombats stress they “want more chaos and disorder”, it's all well and good, but you'd sure as hell with they'd walk it like they talk it. So I'm sorry lads, you may think this'll do as a lap of honour, but all you'll get from this reviewer is a jab in the ribs and a note to do better or you'll see me after class. Back to the drawing board for you, top producer or not.
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