Gomez - A New Tide
Since the success of their critically-acclaimed debut Bring It On and the two Top Ten albums that followed, things have been pretty quiet from the Gomez camp. The band’s sixth studio album, A New Tide is said to mark a return to the freewheeling and experimental roots from which they’ve grown over the last ten years – let’s see shall we?
Aptly named opener Mix starts things quietly with soft lullaby vocals over stripped down acoustic string sounds before gradually building into an explosive epic riddled with edgy layers and whirling psychedelia. The hints at this kind of experimentation continue with the spaced-out vibe of Bone Tired.
Unlike some of their preceding albums, here it’s obvious that Gomez have made every effort to maintain variety amongst the tracks. Ensconced in everything from the county-fried rock of Little Pieces to the eccentricity and blues of If You Ask Nicely, each moment seems born out of boundless imagination, though not always quite carried off to the greatest possible effect.
At its best, the reincarnated sound of Gomez in Airstream Driver is reminiscent of The Beta Band and even elements of more contemporary acts are evident like The Aliens and Grandaddy. At other times though, singer Ian Ball’s folky bleat sends chilling images of one-time coffee table must-have David Gray to mind – not cool.
Just as you might expect from this band, as ever, the wide range of musical styles and influences make for a pretty much incomparable brew. Delta blues, psychedelia and Krautrock all play a role in its composition, but still, the resulting sound is really quite tiresome. One listen through and the chances are you’ll have drifted into the land of nod.
The mild excitement of tracks like Very Strange is utterly lost among the sameness and meandering dross of Other Plans and Lost Track. All things considered, A New Tide is a mediocre album from a sadly quite mediocre band who, despite courting success in their early years, have since seen a lull in their popularity – perhaps for good reason.
Rating: 2/5
Skip To: Airstream Driver
Anthony Hill