There's been quite a long lead time on promotion of this album. The first single Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves) dropped in the second half of last year, and the song actually made it into last years Hottest 100 at number eight. It indicated a different, darker direction for the lads from Liverpool whose first album had been so much quirky fun.
Follow up single Jump Into The Fog (which was released much closer to the actual album release) cemented this new direction, and both songs really gave me hope for an album that had developed musically, and matured lyrically from a debut album which I had thoroughly enjoyed.
That those songs are placed at tracks two and three of the album (following the decent opener Our Perfect Disease) had me settled in and ready for another excellent musical journey. However the whole album came apart at the seams for me with track four.
Anti-D is a track so painfully earnest and simply worded that it's embarrassing to listen to. Pair that with a drop in tempo and the needless addition of a string arrangement and the whole album grinds to a creaking halt. It's possible that outside of the context of the album, and separated from that dreadful song, the latter half of the album could have songs I'd quite enjoy, but it's like my suspension of disbelief was broken, and I couldn't see the great and powerful Oz, just a little man pulling musical levers behind a curtain.
I've tried to listen to the album a number of times, and I've made it all the way through on more than one occasion, and I still quite like those first three songs, but everything that comes after is hard for me to listen to. 1996 is a mawkishly sentimental look back on the innocence of youth. Techno Fan (which is bafflingly getting some airplay) is curiously lacking in energy.
The closest the album comes to redeeming itself is Girls/Fast Cars. The closest they get to the winking self aware fun of their debut.
Sorry Wombats, I really tried to like this album, but I just couldn't get there. I guess this can go on the 'disappointing sophomore effort' pile. I eagerly await your 'return to form'.
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