Album Review: Love Fame Tragedy- Wherever I Go, I Want to Leave

Although the debut solo album by The Wombats’ lead singer Matthew ‘Murph’ Murphy sounds depressing on paper, it’s actually much more upbeat than the title suggests. If you are a fan of his previous work, then you’ll be pleased to know that Wherever I Go, I Want To Leave unmistakably echoes their previous albums, but highlights the maturity of his individual voice. At 17 tracks, you could be forgiven for thinking this may fall into the category of self-indulgent solo projects. However, you’d be wrong – this is a stellar album.

It opens with ‘5150’ a chilled track which is perfect listening for a summer evening. It combines the rather heavy topic of the California law with laid back vibes and a smooth instrumental, setting the tone for the rest of the album. This then is followed by ‘My Cheating Heart’ which is more upbeat but no less impactful. Murph says that he ‘want[s] it all’ and this song certainly gives it all.

‘Multiply’, featuring Jack River, has a techno vibe to it and stands out from the rest of the album, reminding us that Murph is by no means a one trick pony. The addition of female vocals really elevates the track by adding a new and exciting dimension. The next few songs, ‘Backflip’, ‘Sharks’ and ‘Honeypie’ are slightly less impactful – but are still excellent additions.

One of the more captivating tracks, ‘The Sea Is Deep And The World Is Wide’ is less than a minute long and has zero vocals – it’s short but effective and has an intoxicating guitar melody. The final track ‘Brand New Brain’ is arguably the best new track of 2020. It perfectly highlights Murph’s characteristic sound, with a hypnotic modern sound.

Wherever I Go, I Want to Leave is a really impressive and promising start to Murph’s solo career.

Words: Amelia Dinsdale