Never a fan of the po-faced rootsy conservatism of Gomez’s first two albums, I thought In Our Gun was underrated. On Split The Difference, Gomez backs away from the experimentalism of their last album, leaving the likes of Radiohead to satisfy listener’s taste for adventure. While they’re back to a traditional rock sound, they still sound pretty invigorated , with the arrangements more lively than their early stuff, and not so overtly indebted to tired classic rock and brit pop. Sometimes they sound like Pearl Jam, but somehow more enjoyable, and even rocks harder at times, like in “Where Ya Going.” “Sweet Virginia” is very moody and lush, a new facet to their sound. “Chicken Out” sounds like a half-done outtake, but with a catchy little chorus. It sticks out like a sore thumb, wish they’d finished it. It’s like the last four songs revert back to the old (or young) crappy Gomez. A good album that would have been excellent had it not petered out.
April 2, 2026
Fester’s Lucky 13: 1986
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Ranking the Oscar Nominees
