Indie Rock band The Wombats are set to release their new album just in time to accompany all the evil indie rock lover boys and semi-goth serial daters for Valentine’s Day. Calling the album Oh! The Ocean, and arriving on the lover’s holiday of February 14th, it is also worth noting that there will be an accompanying United Kingdom exclusive record store release tour.
Sonically, the Wombats have a psychedelic quality to their Rock that couples well with the meditative lyrics on display by frontman Matthew Murphy. His self-loathing lyrics and fatalist tendencies have some powerful energy behind them. Even though they feel a little emo, they still bring the same bursting energy that tracks back to their debut album. It has been twenty-two years since the band started as a group of college friends in 2003. Now, in 2025, the band is putting the finishing touches on another successful release.
For The Wombats, Oh! The Ocean is a wave of something fresh, with new Producer John Congleton working behind the scenes to make a more sophisticated sound. Congleton is a bit of a legend in the indietronica and indie rock scene. Helping to produce the sound of the early 2000s indie scene with Paper Chase. Congleton has a refined ear for this type of work and has worked to create a cohesive album with the creativity of The Wombats.
For lack of better words, the use of The Wombats Bass Guitarist Tord Øverland Knudsen is sick. Many times across the album, but especially in Blood on the Hospital Floor, he purges the air with his play, creating a full-rounded sound that acts as a platform for the drums and guitar to build on. Although a lot of their verve comes from their lyrics and Indie Electronic twists, when it comes to musicianship, The Wombats are productive with their instruments and have a polished sound.
When one is listening to the Wombats, it is guaranteed that vocals will be distorted, keyboards will have electronic filters, and fuzzy glitch sound effects will make their way onto the scene to accompany the 808s. What is strange about this contemporary indie pop is that the sound feels nostalgic and comforting while still new and intriguing. This is a popular effect; it regained popularity recently with Superorganism and The Glass Animals. There is an allure to the informal yet distinct sound of Electronic Pop. Overall, it seems the time for indietronica music is now, and whichever indie band can tastefully splatter their work with electronic creativity seems to be the winner.
Oh! The Ocean is ecstatic with its production, providing energy for Matthew Murphy’s self-deprecating lyrics. A layer of bittersweet melancholia is built up by his guitar serving. This sound works as a guide, blending unique sounds into the song with each new chord. The ironic twist is that despite the transcendence of the music, Murphy still has all his problems. This journey is the crux of this album and leads to some wonderfully fatalist ideals. Maybe it is better to be alive rather than trying to fix yourself.
A very literal view of the album views it as the radicalization of an impressionable mind. These songs are about paradigm shifts, coming to terms with reality, and, in some ways, anarchy. The Wombats create music that encourages dream chasers, those who want to live life fully.
Although there is optimism in the message of their music, a good majority of the sound is grounded in sorrow and discomfort. The music is written for individuals who see problems but cannot fix them: situation instigators, gaslighters, and narcissists. Murphy puts it best in “Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come” when he sings –
“I’m aware that I’m the problem, but that doesn’t solve the problem.”
Even though these people have obvious issues, they are unable to find a solution. Their response is to continue being ignorant of the problem, finding silver linings, or being blissfully unaware. This emotional response is translated into the music as a carefree attitude that undercuts the importance of the lyrics and allows the song to flow well, nonchalantly.
Oh! The Ocean is a warming Indie Rock sunburst that feels like a drive to the beach in the summer of your youth. These twelve songs capture some great energy, which bounces around between the nifty lyrics and the ecstatic bass guitar. This feels like a healthy addition as the sixth album for a UK band that has been producing music for a large audience since the early 2000s. That is why CrypticRock gives Oh! The Ocean 4 out of 5 stars.
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