After 15 years of making music, Gomez could be considered veterans in the world of alternative rock. They’ve established themselves as forward-thinking Brits with a knack for creating genre-blurring songs amongst a democracy of songwriters and singers. Their 1998 Mercury Music Prize winning debut album, Bring It On, and extensive back catalogue is enough to allow them to continue to hold their heads up high. But after all these years, the release of Whatever’s On Your Mind shows signs of a dimming in their creative spark.

There’s nothing overtly new, exciting or challenging about this album. For a band renowned as being innovators, Gomez stick to a conventional format on Whatever’s On Your Mind, with fairly straightforward alternative rock songs, most of which clock in at around the radio-friendly three and a half minute mark. Unlike the epic sprawl of `We Haven’t Turned Around’ from Liquid Skin or quirky experimentation of `Machismo’- from the EP of the same name- portions of this album sound contrived and lacking the same passion and substance as previous releases from the band. For instance, although lead single `Options’ is enjoyable with its driving acoustic guitar riff, horns and sing-along chorus, `I Will Take You There’ is a summery jam that washes over the listener without any lasting impact while `Just As Lost As You’ and `The Place and The People’ border on cheesy top-of-the-pops type radio pomp. Further down the scale is a track like `That Wolf’, which is a forgettable, throwaway of a song that’s all poppy gloss, cringe-worthy lyrics (“the way she makes me feel, this life won’t last forever”) with no soul or feeling.

The conservative musical direction of this LP could potentially be traced back to Gomez’s decision to write the album by correspondence (the band members sent song ideas to one another via the internet and other forms of technology, piecing it together over the course of several months). This artificial method of collaboration – though appealing to those geographically dispersed - could perhaps be responsible for the simplified and unadventurous song structures on the album.

Nevertheless, it’s not necessarily all bad. Vocalist Ben Ottewell’s moments in the spotlight redeem some of the album’s weaker moments. His idiosyncratic voice is a potent ingredient in Gomez’s collage of sound, as he breaths life into the title-track with his husky, yet powerful croon as well as during `Equalize’, which features big thumping bass, fuzzy bluesy guitars and quirky sound effects that hark back to the band’s glory days (it’s got more attitude than the wish-wash of earlier cuts from the album, but unfortunately comes as too little, too late). Additionally, `Our Goodbye’ is spruced up with orchestral flourishes and could easy be an off-cut from Ottewell’s impressive solo album of last year, Shapes and Shadows.

Gomez have decided to play it safe on album number seven. In the past, they’ve proved they’re capable of distilling a range of musical influences, ranging from alt-rock and blues through to electronica and post-punk, into a unique musical blend. However, Whatever’s On Your Mind is very neatly packaged and predictable in comparison to past albums. While it’s catchy at times, it also comes off as rigid and calculated due to the fact it was essentially written via an exchange of ideas in cyberspace. What was once fresh and exciting is unfortunately a little stale this time round.

So, last night I wandered down to Karova Lounge in Ballarat and met one of my idols… something I can’t say I do every day.  

Ben Ottewell from UK alternative rockers Gomez was passing through town while out and about on his own Australian tour. Playing in front of a crowd substantially smaller than what he must be used to – but no less appreciative – Ben sat upon a stool on Karova’s tiny stage, cradled a Gibson acoustic guitar, and powered through both Gomez classics and material from his recent solo album, Shapes and Shadows.

I think Ben has one of the most distinct voices in rock. It’s husky and raw one minute and then delicate and soothing the next. Being a fan of the band since Bring It On, it was an absolute pleasure getting the chance to see the man bring the magic of that album, and the rest of the band’s back catalogue, to life in such an intimate setting.

And as he chuckled during the set, Gomez will indeed return to Australian shores later in the year as part of the 2011 Splendour in the Grass festival. Now all I have to do is wait for a side-show to be announced…

http://www.gomeztheband.com/