A lot's changed for Matt 'Murph' Murphy since The Wombats' 2007 debut 'A Guide to Love, Loss, and Desperation', the album that broke them out of the Liverpool scene and into the public eye. He now lives out in Los Angeles, has a wife and kids, and is calling in from a courtesy car in a parking lot on what looks like a scorchingly hot December morning.
A tale of how to cope in the modern world, a world dominated by self-centred tendencies and increasingly terrifying technological advancements, it represents a turn towards the more experimental side of The Wombats' abilities, extending their indie-rock roots to encompass moments of gritty 80s electronica in 'Kate Moss', funk-adjacent basslines in opener 'Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want To Come', and more traditional nods to the British rock scene that raised them in 'Blood on the Hospital Floor'.
"I found it really exciting to contrast big metaphors with sharp, concrete statements. It's what bands like The 1975, IDLES, or Jarvis Cocker and Pulp do really well"
The sonic choices on 'Oh! The Ocean' make it clear that The Wombats still have plenty of life in them, threading all their years together through the record to create a daring yet familiar soundscape. Murph's lyrical style stands taller than ever before against a backdrop drenched in self-assuredness, maturity, and a clearer sense of self from all three bandmates.
