The Wombats Oh! The Ocean
Released Feb 14, 2025 The Wombats
Consensus forming 3 professional reviews Updated Aug 27, 2026
Split critical consensus
Consensus is still forming across 3 professional reviews. The Wombats's Oh!
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
The World's Not Out To Get Me, I Am
1 critic mention
“we finally get the best track, "The World’s Not Out to Get Me, I Am".” — PopMatters
Kate Moss
1 critic mention
“It’s unclear whether Murphy is critiquing or indulging in indie sleaze’s time-honored problematic trappings” — PopMatters
Can't Say No
1 critic mention
“Murphy’s invitation to steal a car with him feels less like a thrill and more like a setup” — PopMatters
Full critic consensus
The Wombats's Oh! The Ocean arrives as a band wrestling with commercial success and emotional ambition, producing moments of spark amid uneven execution. Critics note a tilt toward indie sleaze and self-flagellation across the record, with PopMatters praising the emotionally ambitious “The World’s Not Out To Get Me, I Am” as the album's clearest highlight while finding songs like “Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come” and “Can’t Say No” limp or fizzled. Across three professional reviews the collection earned a 63.33/100 consensus score, signaling mixed reception rather than a unified acclaim or dismissal.
The critical consensus emphasizes risk-taking that rarely coalesces. Reviewers consistently point to sharp lyrical intent and hooks that surface on occasion, but they also note an uneven tonal balance—moments of wit and melodic payoff sit beside tracks that undercut the record's momentum. Standout track “The World’s Not Out To Get Me, I Am” emerges as the best song on Oh! The Ocean in multiple write-ups, while other songs such as “Kate Moss” and “Can’t Say No” receive more muted responses. Critics agree the album is interesting for fans curious about the Wombats' flirtation with bigger pop moves, though it may frustrate those seeking a tighter, more consistently realized follow-up.
In short, the critical consensus frames Oh! The Ocean as a divisive step: a record with enticing ambitions and a few essential moments, yet one that exposes the band’s unevenness as often as it celebrates their growth. Below are the full reviews and detailed takes that elaborate on whether the collection is worth your time.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want To Come
Can't Say No
Blood On The Hospital Floor
Kate Moss
Gut-Punch
My Head Is Not My Friend
I Love America And She Hates Me
The World's Not Out To Get Me, I Am
Grim Reaper
Reality Is A Wild Ride
Swerve (101)
Lobster
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
The Wombats sound chastened and occasionally interesting on Oh! The Ocean, but the record is often earnest to the point of cringe. The reviewer singles out “The World's Not Out to Get Me, I Am” as the album's best track, where the band finally sounds nourished enough to be emotionally ambitious, with metaphors and an oddly endearing hook. By contrast, “Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want To Come” and “Can’t Say No” are described in terse, cutting terms - limp and fizzled respectively - leaving the album uneven. The voice throughout is unsparing, admiring occasional risks yet skeptical that the Wombats will take their fans someplace worth going.
Key Points
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The World’s Not Out to Get Me, I Am is the emotional high point where the band finally sounds nourished and ambitious.
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The album’s core strengths are occasional lyrical ambition and willingness to strip back polish, but these are undermined by limp arrangements and unsettling indulgences.