The Wombats examine bad decisions with ‘Can’t Say No’ ahead of their sixth album ‘Oh! The Ocean’

The Wombats have released another track from their sixth studio album ‘Oh! The Ocean’, new single ‘Can’t Say No’.

The Liverpool band’s new track examines themes of self-destructive behaviour and emotional avoidance. “‘Can’t Say No’ would be my favourite on the album I think, I kind of wanted it to sound like the 3 of us playing in a room together if that room was in space,” frontman Murph explains. “The song is about making decisions that in no way benefit my future self, and in fact cause my future self a lot of problems. I never truly learnt to live ‘in’ the moment, I was only ever living ‘for’ the moment and as if that moment was going to be my last.”

The album’s title was inspired by a transformative beach experience, with Murph reflecting: “I’ve been to many beaches and seas and coasts over the years but for some reason it felt like the first time I had ever seen it and was truly present. There was this revelation that I had been living a life caught up in my own head, or in some kind of racing helmet or with blinkers on. It was really a potent experience. I felt like I saw everything new for the first time, and was aware that I had been so selfish to not take in how crazy the world and life is.”

The album was recorded in Echo Park, LA, with producer John Congleton, known for his work with St Vincent, Wallows, and Death Cab for Cutie. The band worked through 50 new songs during the six-week recording sessions.

Their dates in full read:

MARCH
18 Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham, UK
19 The O2, London, UK
21 Utilita Arena, Cardiff, UK
22 AO Arena, Manchester, UK
23 Connexin Live, Hull, UK
25 OVO Hydro, Glasgow, UK
26 First Direct Arena, Leeds, UK
28 Le Trabendo, Paris, France
30 013 Tilburg, Tilburg, Netherlands
31 Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands

APRIL
1 E-Werk, Cologne, Germany
3 Theaterfabrik, Munich, Germany
4 Komplex 457, Zurich, Switzerland
5 Archa +, Prague, Czech Republic
7 Columbiahalle, Berlin, Germany
8 Jovel Music Hall, Munster, Germany
10 Rockefeller Music Hall, Oslo, Norway
11 Pumpehuset, Copenhagen, Denmark
12 Vasateatern, Stockholm, Sweden
15 Den Atelier, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
16 Botanique, Brussels, Belgium

JUNE
19 Pier Head, Liverpool, UK