Following Kim Gordon at Austin Psych Fest may have been a daunting task for some, but Wombo rose to the challenge and mellowed us all out after Gordon’s frenzied hour. Drummer Joel Taylor kept us grounded while Cameron Lowe on guitar and Sydney Chadwick on vocals tugged us to the clouds. The band didn’t talk much except to say hi, and fine by me: their silky tracks spoke for Wombo.
The group used the stage to play a number of new tracks – a choice I can’t help but respect. Instead of losing ourselves to singing along, the decision asked us to be present. Chadwick’s haunting feminine vocals backed by Lowe’s insistent guitar were transcendental. Their sound echoed and pulled at our gazes; where else was there to look but right at the stage? Wombo brought noise rock, post-punk and surrealism to a head, unapologetically leaving us dazed and nostalgic. A “post-punk fairy tale” indeed.
Wombo’s APF set was at once spooky, atmospheric and ambient, perfect for the deep black sky that accompanied their set. Anyone who stuck around for Wombo was sure to find a new soundtrack for their late nights.
Check out some images from Wombo's set:
Photo by Anya Gupta.
Photo by Anya Gupta.
Photo by Anya Gupta.
Photo by Anya Gupta.