•
Rating:
Just after the funeral of "brit-pop" the greatest fear that seemed to be creeping
through the environment was that, although this widely devalued genre had been consigned to history, for most young English musicians the only interest seemed to be to continue singing about a "wonderwall" and a Sally who would never love them. For a moment, the general feeling coming from Albion was that after years in which the Madchester scene to the Oasis had brought new life to rock, ideas had suddenly completely run out.
In this context fits the pleasant reception given to Gomez back in 1998. From Liverpool, one of the most suspected sites at that time for churning out bowl-cut clones, finally emerged a group of guys who while not renouncing the roots of English melodic-rock, were not afraid to draw inspiration elsewhere, even far from England itself, creating a sound that soon became distinctive and unique to the band itself.
"Split The Difference" is Gomez's latest effort and excluding the debut "Bring It On" which revealed its potential, it is the best of their entire production.
Permanently set aside the digital interferences that made "In Our Gun" appear as an attempt at excessive experimentation, and abandoned the idea of a totally self-produced work (the producer now is Tchad Blake who has worked with Tom Waits and Crowded House), these last 13 tracks turn towards a more rock sound, more incisive and direct which does not, for this reason, relegates the usual charming melodic touch to a secondary role.
Excellently played blues-rock, influences ranging from psychedelia to folk, the usual perfect alternation of almost all members of the band on the microphone and finally the inevitable handful of ballads ("Sweet Virginia" recalls for nostalgia and impact their flagship "We Haven’t Turned Around", the concluding "There It Was" is simply a jewel), compose a picture that shows us Gomez at the height of their artistic maturity now finally free from being considered only a pleasant surprise.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
02 These 3 Sins (02:37)
These 3 sins have finally found me:
Lust, Ambition and Greed
Creepin' in the back door, they came without warning,
they burned whatever they could steal
they burned whatever they could steal
So please could you go back where you came from again?
We don't want to harm ya,
We don't want to harm ya,
We are not your armor,
We're your friends.
These 3 sins have fell from their horses,
and taken me and you for a ride.
Deliver us from evil, let the devil disown me.
The serpents and the snakes will decide.
The serpents and the snakes will decide.
So please could you go back where you came from again?
We don't want to harm ya,
We don't want to harm ya,
We are not your robber,
We're your friends.
So please could you go back where you came from again?
We don't want to harm ya,
We don't want to harm ya,
We are not your armor,
We're your friends.
03 Silence (02:55)
I've been caught in a trap I set for myself
I don't want to be here when you could be somewhere else
So why'd I sit on my hands like a book on a shelf
Where nothing but dust is falling?
Everyone 'round here lives in silence
If I had something to say I'd say what I mean
How'd you lose all your words? I swear it's obscene, I curse
How'd you look at yourself as the mirror turns green?
Yeah, only the fools ignore us
Everyone 'round here lives in silence
I could wait all my life for someone to think
I can't open your eyes but I can make you blink at me
So please don't try to be nice, don't need your advice
Please leave me to die of boredom
Everyone 'round here lives in silence
Silence
They wait for the end
Silence
They bow and they bend
Silence
Their homes they defend
Silence
04 Me, You and Everybody (04:24)
I guess you'll find a reason to walk out on me
I guess in time we'll all return to the scene
Awake the old dog in me.
Our love was blind, a love unpretentious and free
Our love was blind, but now my love's leavin' me
Today or tonight you will see
I've got a hopeless memory
that you'll remember me
do not waste your sympathy
it all runs off of me
Though the wind blows you've drawn its call from my sins
God knows rainbows but you seem only too pale
A little or nothing prevails
I've got a timeless melody
that I sing out of key
do not waste your energy
it all runs off of
Me, and you, and everybody X2
Someday you'll say I wish you were here in my arms
til then I'll pray that you'll submit to my charms
Always keep safe from harm
Always keep safe from harm
I've got a loveless melody
so please remember me
do not waste your sympathy
it all runs off of
Me, and you, and everybody X2
06 Sweet Virginia (06:06)
I couldn't tell
The weight of the world
Was on your shoulders
Couldn't tell you were unhappy,
You were unwell
I go along like nothing is wrong
No need to worry
Too late to feel sorrow
Upon borrowed time
Then now there's no answers
No easy way out
Take it all if you want
Take it all if you want
If you know how to run
Sweet Virginia, you should run
If you know how to play
Sweet Virginia, you should play
If you know how to say
Sweet Virginia, you should say
If you know how to be
Be without me, you should be
You should be
I couldn't see
It seems I don't learn or get the message
Don't know you you carry it all by yourself
How can it be
it doesn't belong, it's so not funny
this vintage of violence again on parade
and now there's no wonder
no shelter from shame
be alone if you want
be alone if you want
if you know how to run
Sweet Virginia, you should run
if you know how to play
Sweet Virginia, you should play
if you know how to say
Sweet Virginia, you should say
if you know how to be
be without me, you should be
you should be
07 Catch Me Up (03:47)
Hello, hello, I'm glad to see you
Now we'll only stop to say goodbye
We'll go, we'll go just where we want to
We won't let the others bleed us dry
'Cause I am but a fool for you, that's right
And I got nothing to lose that I'd choose tonight
Come on, come on we should be leaving
But I let another one go by
Oh no, oh no, I couldn't leave you
Though I know they'd like to make me try
'Cause I shot down the moon for you, that's right
'Cause I got something to prove to you tonight
I will always wait for you to catch me up, yeah
I will always wait for you to catch me up, yeah
I will always wait for you to catch me up, yeah
I will always wait for you to catch me up
You know, you know I want to please you
And now's the time to let me try
Will you, will you do as I do?
Will you wait for me to stew or die?
'Cause I don't ever wanna see you cry
Yeah, I will never leave you high and dry
I, yeah, I...
I will always wait for you to catch me up, yeah
I will always wait for you to catch me up, yeah
I will always wait for you to catch me up, yeah
I will always wait for you to catch me up, yeah
I will always wait for you to catch me up, yeah
I will always wait for you to catch me up, yeah
I will always wait for you to catch me up, yeah
I will always wait for you to catch me up, yeah
I will always wait for you to catch me
I will always wait for you to catch me
I will always wait for you to catch me
I will always wait for you to catch me
09 Meet Me in the City (03:11)
Meet, meet me in the city, girl
In the city feels right, girl
We'll get drunk on a fight, girl
Please, please don't leave me right now, girl
Right now, right now, oh no, oh no, no no no
You got me baby,
You got me girl
You got me baby,
You got me girl
You got me baby,
You got me girl
Sometimes I think I went out
But then again my my mind changed
Sometimes I think I went out
But then again my my mind changed
Im still begging you babe, begging you babe (yeah)
Im still begging you babe, begging you
Please, please don't leave me right now, girl
Right now, right now, oh no, oh no, no no no
12 Nothing Is Wrong (05:35)
Sometimes I feel that something is wrong,
And the same goes for you
Cuz you’re not seeing the world at all, are ya?
The same goes for me.
Well this is not the be all and end all for us.
The being and the ending and all the above,
There’s more
I used a little,
A little used to be too much for me.
But we’re not here to judge you.
We want to be your friend’s now.
And we can make you feel like everything that’s gone wrong happened for a reason.
Some how I feel like signing up,
And the same goes for you.
Sometimes I your signature’s worth nothing at all,
And the same goes for me.
Well this is not the be all and end all for us.
The being and the ending and all the above,
There’s more
I used a little,
A little used to be too much for me, for me.
But we’re not here to judge you.
We want to be your friends now.
And we can make you feel like everything that’s gone wrong happened for a reason.
Well you can come with us now.
There’s no need to be scared, be scared, now.
Cuz we can make you feel like everything that’s gone wrong happened for a reason.
This is not the be all and end all of us, there’s more.
This is not the being and ending of us, there’s more.
The being and the ending and all the above,
You want more and more and more.
A little never was enough for me for me.
Cuz we’re not here to judge you
We want to be your friends now.
And we can make you feel like everything that’s gone wrong happened for a reason.
Well you can come with us now.
There’s no need to be scared, be scared, now.
And we can make you feel like everything that’s gone wrong happened for a reason.
And we can make you feel like everything that’s gone wrong happened for a reason.
And we can make you feel like everything that’s gone wrong
It happened for a reason.
It happened for a reason.
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By marcmat
The Gomez stones don’t roll, they dance.
The perfect balance between rhythm and melody of the Fab Four relives a new fantastic chapter precisely in this album.
