In comes the tide, but is it really “new”? A New Tide, the sixth studio release from Southport, England, band Gomez, sounds more like a continuation of its softer, more recent albums than a brand-new sound.
That being said, A New Tide is still a diverse album that will resonate with both longtime followers of the British quintet and indie-rock lovers giving Gomez their first listen. It’s a good sound — just not entirely different from previous works.
The album features both an experimental blues sound reminiscent of early Gomez tunes and the more low-key, acoustic vibe of more recent works, but the latter style is definitely in the majority. This has been a trend ever since the band’s sophomore album, 1999’s Liquid Skin.
In over a decade of music-making, Gomez has failed to follow through on much of the promise of their debut disc, Bring It On, which won the 1998 Mercury Prize (sort of a UK-equivalent to a Grammy) for Album of the Year in England. Bring It On set itself apart from other British alt-rock albums of the time with its rough, experimental sounds that have gradually become more polished with subsequent Gomez releases.
This year’s A New Tide is no different. Although a few tracks — like the catchy single “Airstream Driver” — will find favor among veteran Gomez fans looking for that fuzz, some will be disappointed with the less-edgy direction the band has taken their music. The raw garage sound is gone. The gutsy blues outcries have mellowed out.
Despite this turn, A New Tide still offers some excellent tracks. Standouts include the opener, “Mix,” which appropriately incorporates various musical elements that blend seamlessly to form one cohesive, yet interestingly complex song. It starts off acoustically and gradually gathers more momentum as it approaches the chorus. One element that sets this song — and the whole album — apart from other alternative pop-rock albums is the background electronic beats. The synthetic layered over the acoustic can also be heard on “Bone Tired.”
Other highlights are the upbeat “If I Ask You Nicely,” which has a classic organ undertone, and the hauntingly melodic “Win Park Slope.” The two round out the album nicely, with “Win Park Slope” contributing to the variety on A New Tide with its beautiful banjo riffs and slow tempo.
“Little Pieces” sounds similar to perhaps the most popular Gomez track, “See the World,” from 2006’s How We Operate. The raspy vocals and guitar riffs sound just like any other alt-rock song. It is on tracks like “Little Pieces” and the closer, “Engine,” that Gomez disappoints fans who are hoping to hear a sound that is unique to these experienced indie rockers.
A New Tide has high points and low points, with the strongest sounds resembling early Gomez tracks and the electronic-layered songs. Despite the few less inventive tracks that lack originality and creativity, the overall album exhibits a juxtaposition of modern sound with a bluesy-folk vibe that has garnered Gomez the reputation as a favorite in the indie-rock circuit for the past 10 years.
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3 1/2 stars out of 5.
