I really like Gomez. They are without a doubt one of, if not the best bands in existence in 2011. They debuted in 1998 with the brilliant album Bring it On. and have continued to bring it on for 13 years now with a catalog of amazing tunes and exceptional albums. Gomez recently released their 7th studio album Whatever’s On Your Mind. It is a return to form for Gomez, finding, I think, the perfect balance between their more recent and mature soft-rock sound and the quirkiness and unique sounds of their earlier days.
The band consists primarily of five members, all of which are talented musicians. Gomez’ unique sound comes from a broad and diverse range of influences, talented songwriting and unrivaled vocal delivery from three front men. Each of the vocalists in the band has a distinctly different sound and style and it is when all three sing together that the magic truly happens. The deep husky tones of Ben Ottewell mixed with the sweet pop-sounding styles of Ian Ball and the almost crooner-ish style of Tom Gray make for a diverse and highly original sounding dynamic. The three front men are backed by a solid rhythm section in Paul “Blackie” Blackburn and Olly Peacock.
Asides from killer harmonies, having three different vocalists makes for a refreshing change in sound from track to track and it is possibly this aspect of the group that make Gomez’ records so timeless. When first listening to an album, you will likely be grabbed by one of the three voices. When you listen to the tracks you may find you prefer the ones sung by a particular member of the group. You will smash these songs on repeat over and over until you begin to tire of them. Then you won’t listen to the album for a while. Then you’ll put it on again and find that you are finding songs by one of the other singers more interesting this time round. Then you will repeat the process etc. Their music simply does not become stale.
Vocals are one thing, musicianship and songwriting are another. It is when a band nails all of these areas that a truly special record is made. Gomez have evidently nailed this many times now in the form of seven uniquely brilliant studio releases, an outstanding compilation of outtakes in Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline, an excellent pre 2007 retrospective in Five Men In A Hut, a kick-ass live album; Out West and a number of amazing EP’s and singles such as Machismo and Detroit Swing 66/Ping One Down.
Vocal sounds aside, from track to track, the sounds of each song vary quite a bit but always contain a certain unique sort of Gomez sound or swagger evident in every track this band has ever written. It is their distinct sound that sets them aside from the millions of other alternative indie-rock-ish type bands that share the genre. They are simply unlike anyone else making music today and certainly were unlike anyone in 1998 when Bring It On was released.
New album; Whatever’s On Your Mind is not the band’s strongest release to date, but it is an outstanding effort. Gomez have proven to be reliable in that they simply do not disappoint. In 13 years of listening to their music, I have never once felt let down by a release. Even Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline, a collection of unreleased tracks and outtakes was and remains an amazing album in itself. It is hard to rank albums of a band like Gomez when they set the bar so high. My least favorite Gomez album; A New Tide is still a much stronger and better release than many other albums from many other bands that I enjoy.
While undoubtedly successful, they remain criminally underrated and underappreciated in popular circles. It simply does not make sense that they are not headlining festivals and being showered with the praise and love that they deserve. I guess the beauty of their ‘supporting slot’ status is being able to see them in intimate venues and clubs such as Fremantle’s Fly By Night.
I can not emphasize enough how amazing this band is. They may take a few listens, they may not become your favorite band of all time, but I challenge you to give them a good go and not become hooked.
Bring It On [1998]
Debut from the band and a nice introduction to who they are. Contains many fan favorites such as Get Miles, Whippin’ Piccadilly, Make No Sound, Tijuana Lady and Get Myself Arrested. Every track is killer, for me, personally, highlights include; Free to Run, Love Is Better than A Warm Trombone and Bubblegum Years. This album for me was a classic example of how their sound can grow on you. I was originally lured in by Ben Ottewell’s voice and thrashed the tracks he features on. As I listened more I started to enjoy the Tom Gray led tracks a little more. Now I enjoy the whole album track for track for the amazing debut that it is.
Liquid Skin [1999]
The whole difficult second album thing was no thing for this band. They followed up the brilliance of Bring It On with an arguably stronger release in Liquid Skin. Liquid Skin shares a similar feeling to Bring It On, it has the vibe of being the debut albums elder, more mature brother. The crowd pleasers on this album include: Hangover, Bring It On, We Haven’t Turned Around and Rhythm & Blues Alibi. This whole album is amazing and picking favorite tracks is difficult. I do really like Devil Will Ride and Revolutionary Kind, but I think, a bit like Bring It On, this album is best listened to as a whole, rather than in pieces as it is superbly constructed.
Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline [2000]
This is collection of outtakes, b-sides and rarities that flows like an album. There are some amazing tracks on here and it could have quite easily been released as the band’s third album. The fact that an outtake compilation so strong could be released of the back of only two albums says a lot about the caliber of this band. Notable tracks include Bring Your Lovin’ Back Here, Flavors and the epic Buena Vista .
Machismo [2000] & Detroit
In my opinion two of the best EP’s of all time. Most of the tracks on the Detroit Perth , Western Australia , with a concert at Metro City
In Our Gun [2002]
Marked the first real significant change in sound for the band. A more electronic sound was making its way into the tracks, creating a real different sound in In Our Gun compared the their two previous albums. Shot Shot, Ruff Stuff, In Our Gun, Ping One Down & Detroit Swing 66 receive regular spots in the band’s live sets but highlights for me on this album include: Sound of Sounds, Miles End, 1000 times and Drench.
Split The Difference [2004]
What a brilliant album this is. For me, this is the album where Gomez found the perfect balance between their old and new sound. This is a less Indie-alternative sounding release and a more pop/rock sounding effort. There are more up-tempo tracks with a slight step back from the synth-electro sound. 14 tracks of rocking guitar riffs, nice harmonies and a general positive feeling and throughout. It is Tom Gray who shines for me on this one with highlights including; Silence, Sweet Virginia
Out West (Live At The Fillmore) [2005]
A live double-album recorded in San Francisco
Five Men In A Hut [2006]
A split from their record label resulted in the retrospective; Five Men In A Hut. It is more than a best of in that it contains many b-sides and rarities. A release worth having but certainly no substitute for their albums. The track Step Inside is a great example of the power of Ben Ottewell’s voice. Dire Tribe is mental, Flight is beautiful and Chicken Bones is very different and very cool.
How We Operate [2006]
Another great release and another change in sound. Here we see a more mature and relaxed Gomez. This album is less rocky and far more relaxed. This does not mean however that it is any less brilliant, just different. The opening track Notice was the perfect choice to set the mood of the album and is such a nice song (The brief pauses and timing in the song I think is the bands way of saying, ‘we are still here’). This album I think is the bands most accessible and probably found them many new fans. Highlights for me include Notice, Girlshapedlovedrug, All Too Much, Don’t Make Me Laugh and the title track How We Operate (which interestingly includes a section from an unreleased track from ’98 called Brother Lead).
A New Tide [2009]
A new tide indeed. This is exactly what it should have been. The next logical step from How We Operate. This is a really easy to listen to album. It is much less rocky, much less electronic sounding and overall a very chilled and laid back listening experience. I did say earlier it was my least favorite release, this is not to say it is not impressive. It is a very good album, but is also a change in pace for the band. It is hard to pick highlights off of this album but I do really enjoy; Mix, Little Pieces, Win Park Slope, Natural Selection, Other Plans and it is very hard to not enjoy Airstream Driver, a track that makes for a brief change in pace on the album.
Whatever’s On Your Mind [2011]
Present day Gomez. As I said earlier, this album finds the perfect balance between their more recent and mature soft-rock, chilled out sound and the quirkiness and unique sounds of their earlier days. Gomez are not the same sounding band as they were in 1998, but this is not necessarily a bad thing, why should they be? This release, 13 years on from their first is what I would imagine Gomez in 2011 should sound like. It has the same polished studio vibe as A New Tide without being quite as chilled out as that album. Whatever’s On Your Mind features a mix of tracks featuring big choruses, harmonies and string sections, but also features some more up tempo tracks which are a welcome change of pace, making for a more ‘Gomez’ sounding album. I am really enjoying this album at the moment and am glad the band are not yet getting tired of putting out records. Highlights include; Options, The Place and the People and Song In My Heart.
Gomez are an amazing band well worth checking out. Have a go! You’ll be glad you did.
Albums available from: http://www.gomeztheband.com/records/
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