The Wombats have delivered a whirlwind ‘David Lynch meets Power Rangers’ inspired video for ‘Lemon to a Knife Fight’, the first track off their forthcoming album Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life.
The initially sombre video reeks of the Brit pop-rock trio’s new twisted persona, with many viewers quick to comment on the video’s similarity to the notoriously dark clip for hit ‘Greek Tragedy’.
Described as a ‘tale of redemption’, director Finn Keenan says the idea for this clip came from a line in the brief – ‘David Lynch meets Power Rangers’.
‘I wanted to make something that started off dark, surreal and a little bit disturbing but then flip it on its head with a big ole’ twist that led to a ludicrous ending.’
I’m not much of a David Lynch nut myself, but Keenan sure hit the Power Rangers brief on the head. Think quick, jarring transitions between slow-mo and fast-play, dramatic action scenes and over-the-top make-up. It’s definitely a crazy tale, but it’s not often that I watch a video clip and witness a clear-cut storyline, which was enjoyable in itself. In a matter of four and a half minutes, Keenan managed to twist my mind from a period of intense hatred for the antagonist, to a brief moment of ‘oh, wait’ and back again. This all sounds incredibly vague, but I’d rather not give Keenan’s ‘big ole’ twist’ away! So get to steppin’ and watch the masterpiece below.
The track debuted as Annie Mac’s ‘Hottest Record’ on BBC Radio 1 and has already reeled in over a million digital streams – and for good reason! Aside from the hilariously ludicrous clip, I think you’ll agree that ‘Lemon to A Knife Fight’ is a really bloody catchy tune.
The Wombats appear to be creeping further away from the tried and true formula of their cheery noughties classics like ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division’ and ‘Kill the Director’. Yet whilst the band’s progressively darker vibe has ushered in a fresh new sound, the root of their signature pop-rock swagger remains and the fans are more than satisfied – which is more than we can say for their indie-rock brethren, alt-J.
The Wombats’ next album Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life is due for release on 9th of February, 2018. In the meantime, I highly recommend satiating your noughties nostalgia with their previous hits. Pro tip: bust these puppies out on a long road trip for an instant carpool karaoke vibe. You’re welcome.