To give U.S. fans a taste of blatantly British rock band the Wombats, their label is releasing this six-song EP as a prelude to a full-length later this summer. If you’re a fan of wiseass acts from the other side of the pond such as the Fratellis, Mando Diao or the Darkness, you may find the Wombats endearing. It’s mildly hooky, in-your-face pop, and singer Matthew Murphy has a British accent so thick it almost sounds fake — that, and if you’re from North America, you’ll probably have a hard time making out the lyrics. And while these six songs try to be fun and evoke playfulness, you can’t help but feel like there’s something missing. There are hooks, to be sure, but they sound as contrived as Murphy’s exaggerated accent. The one song that does stand out is “Moving to New York,” which, if you’re a fan of ‘80s music, might remind you of Brit-pop band A.P.B. Here’s hoping the full-length has a bit more variety – and that the Wombats are more of a hoot on stage than they are coming out of computer speakers. (LABEL: KIDS in America/Bright Antenna 2008
