The weird world of Wombo is a kaleidoscopic journey of sharp turns and surprising visions, a melting pot of influences with a cheeky cheshire-cat grin that coalesce into a trippy but infinite universe, a portal into their unique vantage point without limitation. Already committed to living outside the traditionally-heralded country sound of the music scene in their hometown of Louisville Kentucky, Sydney Chadwick (vocals) and Cameron Lowe (guitar) had previously played in punk pop band the Debauchees, and with the addition of Joel Taylor (drums) in 2016 they found a winning combination of more straightforward indie rock combined with Chadwick’s pitched up, oscillating vocals and unpredictable shifts in melody that see the band moving forward at an impressive pace.
Their 2018 album Blossomlooksdownuponus is a snapshot of Wombo’s wide-ranging aspirations that careen across avant pop, psych, and wonky post punk interludes with a sky’s-the-limit approach to translating the mundanity of regular life into their own high-frequency language.
There is an enticing sonic conflict at the heart of “S.T. Tilted,” the latest single from Wumbo. The two contenders in this blissful battle, the plus, shoegaze-style vocals and the jagged complexity of the guitar melodies, aren’t necessarily at odds, but there is a brutality hidden under this alt-pop solace. Just as you’re drifting away on the dense, blindingly bright cloud stirred up on Chadwick’s stunning vocals, Lowe’s face-melting guitar prowess acts as the cumulonimbus that breaks apart the picturesque sky, but if anything is going to break apart this photo opportunity, we should all be glad it’s psychedelia-infused riffs. While the conflict is fierce, the lyrics maintain a welcoming simplicity that smooths the edges of the arrangement. Wombo’s new album, Danger in Fives, arrives on August 8.
