Gomez - In Our Gun (2002)

The British band Gomez is a five-piece act consisting of Ben Ottewell (vocals, guitar), Tom Gray (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Paul Blackburn (bass, guitar), Olly Peacock (drums), and Ian Ball (vocals, guitar, harmonica). Emerging during a time in which the majority of up-and-coming British bands were either retro-pop (à la Oasis), trip-hop (Portishead), or space rock (the Verve, Radiohead), Gomez was one of the few to contain bluesy elements in their rock. by Greg Prato

Gomez is back with their third proper album, following the B-sides and rarities collection Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline. The time off has served them well, as In Our Gun has all the elements that made their debut so great, and then some. The album starts strong, with "Shot Shot sporting a great up-tempo Gomez groove with some tasty sax touches that show up on several tracks. As the album unfolds, it seems the Gomez boys have been listening to quite a bit of dub. There is also a bit more in the way of electronica influence and sound processing on some tracks, but Gomez never forget they're a rock band. In fact, one of their strongest assets is their ability to absorb and integrate musical influences and still sound like no one but themselves. Even though "Ruff Stuff"'s odd synth sounds and the weird psychedelic interlude in "Drench" haven't been heard from these guys before, there's no mistaking that it's Gomez. They cover a lot of musical territory, from ballads like "In our Gun" and "Sound of Sounds" to "Army Dub" to the rousing closer "Ballad of Nice and Easy," with all the effortlessness displayed on Bring It On. Great songs, cool arrangements, and excellent production; In Our Gun is another winner from Gomez. by Sean Westergaard



1. Shot Shot
2. Rex Kramer
3. Detroit Swing 66
4. In Our Gun
5. Even Song
6. Ruff Stuff
7. Sound Of Sounds
8. Army Dub
9. Miles End
10. Ping One Down
11. 1000 Times
12. Drench
13. Ballad Of Nice And Easy

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