Indie evergreens Gomez seem to keep steadily churning out record after record, oblivious to trend or fad. This is Gomez’s seventh studio record, and it is admirable that over their near 15 year career they have rarely looked back, and continued making consistently solid albums, brimming over with a variety of influences and quality songwriting. Given their 90s indie peers, in bands such as Super Furry Animals and Supergrass, managed to maintain long and creative careers says a lot for their songwriting powers, and Gomez clearly aren’t finished yet.
On first listen, the thing that strikes you about “Whatever’s On Your Mind” is the almost relentlessly upbeat feel. There is very little shade to the sun-dappled choruses and optimistic mood of the lyrics. As admirable as this is, it does mean the album drifts past somewhat unnoticed at first, and takes a couple of listens to sink in. But when it does, the string laden title track and driving strut of lead single Options stick out as highlights.
As usual, the typical blues-influenced brew Gomez cook up is on display (especially on Equalise), but there is also a fresh, poppy sheen to everything here. The anthemic Song In My Heart even throws in some R’n’B beats and bleeps to its singalong chorus to great effect. Lyrically, things stray a bit close to the middle of the road towards then end of the album (That Wolf‘s cliche’d platitudes tarnish a lively tune) but it’s a minor gripe in a brilliantly concieved record.
Gomez are clearly happy in their own skins now, and this record shows them toning down the hotch-potch of experimentation they previously revelled in. But it’s still clear there are still deep wells of interesting ideas among the band’s four songwriters, that could keep them churning out albums this good for a long time to come. Here’s hoping they do.
Release Date – 6th June 2011
[Rating:3.5]
