Buzzing with Wombo’s latest single, Blossom Bear

Originally published by Alt Citizen

Louisville, Kentucky's Wombo released their debut album in 2017 and it was not written for sitting still. As twitchy as a bundle of nerves plucked with electric precision to the rhythm of guitar and bass notes that bounced about like a handful of tiny rubber balls in a small, empty room. Peculiar vocals delivered with a staccato cadence dared the listener to pay attention to everything while attempting to distract and divert at every turn and driving it all was airtight percussion that hit with a rat-a-tat-tat like too many cups of coffee.

It seems like the caffeine has worn off a little on the band’s latest single, Blossom Bear, a comparatively relaxed affair that draws inspiration from jazz and hazy psychedelia. The jittery undercurrent is still there, but the end result is more of a creamy cappuccino than bitter triple espresso and goes down nice and smooth to keep you alert and engaged without launching your mind into a fit of hypertension. Basslines are nice and rubbery, meandering in between chiming guitar notes and lo-fi percussion as dreamy vocals create an aromatic and inviting atmosphere that recalls contemporaries Vinyl Williams and Sugar Candy Mountain but never fully commits to that brand of utopian bliss. Listen even closer and you’ll hear elements of mid-century bossa nova and 1990s avant-pop, all the sounds of a hip bistro playlist combined into a heady signature house blend.

Lyrically the track conjures visions of Wonderland level comparative contradictions that would make Lewis Carroll squirm with excitement, but instead of falling down the rabbit hole into a mystifying world of chemically induced fantasy the destination is that of the mundane, a seat at a desk in an average office rather than propped up on colorful cushions at The Mad Hatter’s tea party. Entertaining nonsensical riddles are replaced by and endless list of tasks for which there is never enough time to complete but the hands of the clock drag as if coated in molasses to the end of the day. I’ll get to it tomorrow, time for another cup of coffee.

While the band’s approach may have altered, the end result is just as satisfying and energetic at a more leisurely pace that avoids the post high crash. Follow Wombo on Instagram and enjoy the buzz.