Gomez
(ATO)
On Gomez' sixth studio effort, they haven't changed the model, just refined it and expanded on it, incorporating more influences than ever. Utilizing nice push-pull, loud-soft dynamics, multiple lead voices, and balancing delicate acoustic numbers ("Bone Tired," "Other Plans") with grinding electro Kraut-funk ("Airstream Driver") and lots of psychedelic rock coloring, it's impossible to pin Gomez into any genre box. But where some bands would get lost in all these styles, Gomez retains cohesion with an experimental pop sensibility.
While the compositions are adventurous and sonically interesting, the warm choruses on tracks like "Natural Reaction" remind us what radio hits should sound like. The calling card on A New Tide is power without overpowering (they leave that to the live show); instead of beating you over the head they crack the door open and let you walk around at your own pace.
Standout Tracks: "Win Park Slope," "Natural Reaction" AARON KAYCE
