Liquid Skinby Gomez

While the breakout debut album, "Bring It On" often gets all the attention, Gomez made a rhythmically remarkable follow-up album in "Liquid Skin". Something different is immediately apparent with the lead off track "Hangover" in its multi-faceted rhythm (percussion and drums seemingly playing to different songs), but by the middle of the song there is a rhythmic free for all with the percussion swirling this way and that and the music on a different plain all together. Even some of the slower songs: "Revolutionary Kind" and "We Haven't Turned Around" start out simply enough but grow into changing beats and rhythmically textured tracks in unexpected ways by the middle of each. "Las Vegas Dealer' is practically three different songs in one going from catchy stomp to a laid back, dreamy section to a 70's "progressive rock" style complex rhythm and then back again. Somehow it manages to make these completely disparate parts fit together into a cohesive and (believe it or not) catchy musical journey in less than 4 minutes! "Rhythm and Blues Alibi" similarly builds and grows from a relatively simple beginning to a rhythmic frenzy and back again, while once again never losing the catchiness of a great 5 minute Gomez track. "Devil May Ride" starts as a electronic drum new wave sounding pop song evolving into a heavy rock track for just a short time before it becomes a saxophone dominated funk fest, concluding by taking the groove into a sonic palette of all sections put together.
On nearly every track the rhythms mutate in some form or fashion making the music quite complex on the surface, while somehow still keeping the listener unable to stop tapping their feet to the beats.
While the lyrics can often leave a bit to be desired, those who know Gomez know that this has never been the selling point of their songs. Besides the words they sing are almost irrelevant with the fascinatingly complex harmonies of Gomez's three great, vastly different singers.
With music this complex, it takes a few listens, to be sure, for it to all sink in and for the listener to appreciate the changing textures and sonic variety displayed so often in a single track. However, once the listener has indulged in this album a number of times, the rewards of repeated listens are astonishing!