By
Phil Leckman
Grade: B
Although jolly, old England played a disproportionate role in shaping the sound and feel of rock 'n' roll in its early days, only a few British bands in recent years have experienced true American chart success. It is as if there is an import quota on British rock - only one band at a time, please.
Gomez is a prime example of what U.S. audiences are missing while they pursue the American flavor-of-the-month. Although the band members are acclaimed celebrities in Britain, they have been largely overlooked in the States, drowned out by the incessant buzz of praise surrounding Radiohead, America's current English darling. Abandoned Shopping Cart Trolley, a collection of demos and rarities, is a good overview of a talented group that deserves more attention.
At its best, Gomez's loose, jazzy rock is a fluid journey through rock history, incorporating familiar sounds and elements in a dub-tinged, slightly sinister whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. "We Haven't Turned Around (X-ray)" brings strummed roadhouse guitar, ominous lurking cello and Beatles-esque keyboards together in a compelling, attractive whole.
On the other hand, many songs on Abandoned Shopping Cart Trolley are pedestrian reworkings of sounds closely associated with other artists. "Hit on the Head," a bluesy country boogie, could easily be mistaken for a lost song by G. Love and Special Sauce. Worse still, singer Tom Gray often sounds dangerously like Eddie Vedder, who has surely been imitated enough.
Perhaps this explains the declining American fortunes of British rock - rather than forging new rock traditions, now they are simply honoring the old ones.
