The Wombats to Return to Glasgow
By Lucy Gilbert
Liverpool indie giants The Wombats are returning to Glasgow later this month in support of their newest album, Oh! The Ocean.
Their sixth full-length follows their 2022 EP, Is This What It Feels Like to Feel Like This? Released the same year as their fifth album, Fix Yourself, Not The World.
On September 24th, 2024, the first single was named as Sorry I’m Late I didn’t Want To Come via Instagram. The song was released on October 8th, 2024, and premiered on October 7th by BBC Radio 1, it was accompanied by a music video directed by Logan Anderle Fields.
Sorry I’m Late I Didn’t Want To Come is classic Wombats. Combining cheery, easy indie with darker lyrics about loneliness and anxiety. It’s almost a callback to the feelings on their debut, A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation. As the first track on the album, it does well in connecting Oh! The Ocean and Fix Yourself, Not The World.
Track three was their second pre-album single, released on November 21st, 2024, it had its live debut at Reading Festival the previous August. It’s a faster and more upbeat track than Sorry I’m Late... but pairs well as a preview for the full album. Blood On The Hospital Floor also came with a video, this time almost reminiscent of early Franz Ferdinand with real footage edited in an animated, cut and paste way.
The full album was announced on October 11th, 2024, along with a UK headline tour, featuring a debut at the Glasgow Hydro. Previously, they’ve been regulars at the Barrowlands and O2 Academy, but after selling out the Barrowlands two nights in a row in 2022, they’ve been booked for their biggest Glasgow show yet.
The Wombats performing at TRNSMT 2023. Credit: GettyImages
The album released last month on February 14th and was supported by a weeklong record store tour across England.
Oh! The Ocean peaked at four in the British charts in its first week, which is impressive, but a three-position fall from their previous album. So, how does it hold up?
While Fix Yourself...’s first single, If You Ever Leave I’m Coming With You, trumps their latest release, as a whole, Oh! The Ocean is a stronger album.
The release has excellent singles, but solidifies itself with strong album tracks too. Grim Reaper is a perfect example of this. It’s a fun song with a programmed drum beat throughout. Despite the dark lyrics, it feels good, which seems to be a Wombats trademark. It’s one of many you can envision being sung at massive festival gigs.
With all The Wombats’ singalong anthems, the upcoming Hydro show will be one of the best gigs of this year. It’s a given that these indie icons will have 14,000 people dancing and forgetting their problems on March 25th.