Wombo’s newest album ‘Danger in Fives’ is refreshingly original
The Louisville trio embrace experimentation on their latest album.
Photo: Wombo
Revered art-rock trio Wombo have just released their third studio album, Danger in Fives, an experimental new record that pushes the bounds of their winning formula.
The band channelled a Bob Ross-like mindset when approaching the creation of the album, welcoming mistakes as happy accidents and new avenues for artistic expression. The record’s short and punchy tracks are evidence of a band striving for something wholly original.
From the start of the record, the band hits the ground running with the title track, Danger in Fives; a moody tune with an ominous energy. This sense of unease becomes a running theme throughout the album. As such, the band doesn’t spare a second in effectively setting the mood for this new project. We then move on to S.T. Tilted, a bombastic tune, where a crunchy guitar melody takes centre stage. It’s loud and brash, but utterly captivating.
Throughout the album, the band’s lead singer and bassist, Sydney Chadwick, uses her light and angelic vocals to create a compelling contrast with the weighty instruments she accompanies. Like on Cloud 36, a beautifully dissonant tune where Sydney’s airy harmonies make the listener feel like they are floating amidst the clouds. While her voice is stunning and distinct, it never overpowers any of the tracks, giving the musical arrangements room to shine.
This is perfectly exemplified on the album’s centrepiece, Neon Bog, a creative amalgamation of sounds which immerses listeners into the band’s abstract sonic landscape. The tune oscillates and evolves, weaving a fascinating tapestry. The throughline is an omnipresent and ominous cowbell, that evokes a feeling of a ticking time bomb.
On this record, the band also introduced digital sounds to their process for the first time. This new addition to the Wombo palette is heard on tracks like Reveal Dusty, a zany tune that plays with retro-inspired sounds, or Spyhopping, which employs a drum machine to add to the tracks’ textural richness.
Common Things, the album’s penultimate track, became an instant favourite for me thanks to its poetic lyricism and catchy melodies. While lyrics are generally sparsely used on this record, the intentionality behind them makes them incredibly effective. The song also provides a nice sense of levity amidst some of the darker tones woven through the record.
The album ends with the commanding Garden Spies, an entrancing and well-layered track. What begins with just Sydney and her signature bass guitar eventually reaches a full-bodied and cathartic climax. Every sound builds on itself, giving the track a strong sense of forward momentum and ending the record on a high.
Danger in Fives, at its core, is an album about departing from the norm and embracing experimentation. Rejecting perfectionism in their process is exactly what allows the band to continue reinventing the wheel. In a time when there seems to be a real craving for authenticity and originality, Wombo offer a refreshingly inventive taste of something new.
Danger in Fives is out now via Fire Talk. Buy a physical copy here.