2013 is a year which should be remembered as a slight revival in great female characters. From one of the better child performances in years with Onata Aprile in What Maisie Knew, to one of the oldest Oscar nominees with Emmanuelle Riva in Amour. That's not to say that 2013 didn't have great male performances either - Tom Hanks delivered the best performance of his career in Captain Phillips. This year there are 22 films that I've singled out. And number 22 is...
22. Thor: The Dark World
But Andrew, how can you have Thor: The Dark World in your favourite films for the year and yet you don't like Django Unchained or American Hustle? Well, the simple reason is is that this is the best Marvel film to date. Chris Hemsworth is ridiculously charismatic as Thor. Most importantly, this is the first Marvel film which has consistent action sequences. The finale is an enjoyably choreographed world swapping action extravaganza (yes, I just used the word extravaganza). In a year where Iron Man 3 disappointed, it's nice to see a big budget comic book flick which actually delivers.
21. Cloud Atlas
The Wachowski's finally deliver another film which matches the quality of The Matrix. Visually, this is one of the most imaginative films released in 2013. The actors here create some of the most interesting and varied characters in a recent sci-fi film. The plot strands can be hard to follow at times, but as the finale approaches they all weave together in intriguing ways.
20. Fast & Furious 6
I'm not defending my love of these films. Why should I? This series has constantly delivered over the top chases that defy logic, but you don't buy a ticket to these films for logical plot and action. A never ending take off strip? Sure. Jumping tanks? Ok, physics defies it, but whatever. You know what you're getting with these films, and you're either on board or not. Fast & Furious 6 is as over the top as it gets, but dammit, it's also the best in the series.
19. This is 40
I was skeptical that a pseudo-sequel to Knocked Up would work. Just like Stephen King as a writer, Judd Apatow is a director in search of an editor. Funny People was overlong and became bland. This is 40's two hour plus running time felt like it could overstay its welcome, but fortunately enough the dramatic elements work well alongside the comedic elements.
18. Sightseers
A perfect companion film to God Bless America. Ben Wheatley is the most interesting British director working today - take that Christopher Nolan (I still love you though). Sightseers is as black a comedy as you can get. Just like Wheatley's horrific Kill List (which is still one of the finest modern day horror films), Sightseers has some fantastic deaths.
17. Prisoners
The hardest thing about Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine for all these years is that it's kept him from being in films like Prisoners. Behind the claws, there has always been a great actor. Fortunately though, he's able to show his worth in this underrated film. Jake Gyllenhaal is also at the top of his game. Beneath the story twists is a great assessment of what parents are capable when a child goes missing.
16. The Conjuring
2013 was not a good year for horror films. There was the reimagining of Evil Dead and I'm vaguely aware that there was another entry into the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series. What did stand out though was a classic ghost story in The Conjuring. It's a fitting send of for James Wan that this may be his last entry into the horror genre. The usual tropes are there - mysterious bumps, noises that shouldn't be there, legs being pulled by invisible beings - but it's the way that Wan handles it with respect and seriousness that gives The Conjuring weight. There's a real admiration here for the ghost story that the Paranormal Activity films unfortunately don't have.
15. Lincoln
Even now I still can't believe how good Lincoln is. On paper it sounds boring - big tall man stops slavery for good, yay? But Spielberg brings class to the story. His respect of American history is matched by the powerful performances of both Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field. Tommy Lee Jones also is grand amongst a fine cast of supporting actors. Lincoln plays like a 1800's version of The West Wing.
14. Life of Pi
The beauty of Life of Pi is not in the sumptuous CGI assisted cinematography. It's not in the ultra realistic CGI tiger. It's not in the ability to add 'no Richard Parker, that's my tuna' to any conversation (try it). It's the fact that a staunch atheist like myself can still find the joy and beauty in this religious fable. It works wonderfully in showing the sides of stories and how altering them can help give their essence a greater meaning. The visuals are reason to watch the film, but the story makes for a memorable film. Sidenote: it's also one of the finest uses of 3D in a film to date.
13. The Imposter
This list isn't as documentary friendly as I'd like it to be (I'm still yet to watch The Act of Killing, Stories We Tell and Blackfish). The Imposter is a film which demands you should know nothing about it prior to watching it - and not in the Catfish 'don't read about this before you see it' way. This is a thrilling film that still surprises you to the end.
12. Enough Said
One of the more devastating aspects of 2013 was the loss of James Gandolfini. It's always been obvious that he was a great actor, but it took Nicole Holofcener to bring out another nuanced performance from him. Playing a divorcee seems like an easy role, but Gandolfini fills it with such humanity - which sounds trite, but watch the scene where he tells Julia Louis-Dreyfuss that she broke his heart and tell me that's not something else. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss is also sublime here. It's nice to see her take on a role that isn't purely comedic. It's also great to hear Toni Collette with her Australian accent.
11. What Maisie Knew
I won't lie. I almost didn't see this film purely for the fact that it's produced by the people who produced 'The Kids Are All Right'. I'm glad I did though. The array of performances here is phenomenal. Julianne Moore gives one of her best performances to date. Alexander Skarsgard is also in fine form. Steve Coogan proves he's fine at doing drama. But the real star is Onata Aprile. The greatest thing about What Maisie Knew is the position that David Siegel and Scott McGehee place the camera is always from Aprile's Maisie's point of view. The depth of her performance is astounding for a child of her age. The innocence of her performance gives the film a much greater emotional weight than a lesser actress would bring.
As per usual with every year, I try and find a few 'worst' films. These aren't necessarily the worst films of the year, but possibly the most disappointing.
American Hustle is not a bad film. It's surprisingly quite enjoyable. But just like the fact that Jeremy Renner is in this film, it's awfully forgettable. The best thing to happen to this film is that it didn't win any Oscars. Just as Silver Linings Playbook displayed a change in David O'Russell's career, American Hustle brings him even further away from the I Heart Huckabee's and Three Kings high that he had over a decade ago.
Without a doubt, the only reason to watch Spring Breakers is to see James Franco chew scenery. This is saying a heck of a lot given the amount of skin that's on display here as well. It's a visually interesting film, but unfortunately like the girls who inhabit the film, there's nothing to it. Maybe that's the point. There is one great tracking shot in this film though. Other than that, here is the thirty seconds of Spring Breakers worth watching:
Unlike the other films on this list, World War Z isn't exactly loved by the critics. This is one of the most appallingly entertaining films in the past few years (Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 takes the crown though). Brad Pitt's hair rules the show, but other cinematic atrocities include the sudden ejection of his wife when the army thinks Mr Pitt is dead from a ship, and the great 'sigh' that Pitt does at an 'emotional' point in the film. It's easy to hate on World War Z because it's simply so damn stupid, but unlike the other films on this list, it's not as if they were trying to begin with.
The best thing about this film is that it gave the world the phrase 'two time Oscar nominee Jackie Weaver'. I do not like Jennifer Lawrence at all. The number one argument between my wife and I occurs on a weekly basis and it is always about how undeserving Jennifer Lawrence is of a nomination for Winter's Bone. Obviously the Academy must have fallen in love with whatever golden turds Jennifer Lawrence dispenses (yes, Jennifer Lawrence shits too, she's not exempt from diarrhea) to reward her for such an over the top performance as her 'mentally disturbed' dancing queen. Especially over the greater performances given that year.
I always look forward to a new Tarantino film. Who doesn't? I walked out of Django Unchained thinking it was brilliant. Over the top, topical and challenging. It contained the majority of the things required for a good Tarantino film. Then time occurred. And time is not kind. Django Unchained is a turgid film to watch. It's a painful film to watch. It's painful in knowing that Christoph Waltz won a second Oscar for a character which was not a stretch from his Inglourious Basterds character. It's painful knowing he won over the much more deserving Phillip Seymour Hoffman (who gave his career best performance in The Master).
Above all though, it's also painful to see a Tarantino film without Sally Menke as the editor. It would be like watching a Martin Scorsese film without Thelma Schoonmaker as the editor. Or The Coen Brothers not editing their own films. There's a flow to Tarantino's films that Menke created. This is desperately lacking with Django Unchained. Django feels too long - and at 180 minutes, it is. A great editor understands the language of the film and the beats that the director was working towards. Menke brought this to Tarantino's films. She helped bring the brilliance to his films. It's going to be interesting to see how his films progress from here.
Particularly, Oscar predictions for the year 2013. This is one of the most enjoyable years in recent memory because a fair amount of the awards are still up in the air. Will Gravity win Best Picture? Probably not. But, unlike Argo, The Artist or The King's Speech, it's not a certainty that 12 Years a Slave will walk away with Brad Pitt's first win. As per usual, bold is my prediction and italics is what I would like to win. An asterix is what could upset (and believe me, I'll still take credit for it if that one does win.) Best Picture 12 Years a Slave American Hustle* Captain Phillips Dallas Buyers Club Gravity Her Nebraska Philomena The Wolf of Wall Street It's quite interesting to see that this year 12 Years a Slave could win Best Picture with only two other wins. Gravity really should win this as it's a better film than 12 Years a Slave. Yet, just like American Hustle, if Gravity did win the backlash against a good film would be strong. Look at the immediate backlash Argo had last year. Depending on how the show goes, American Hustle could upset. Best Director Alexander Payne - Nebraska Alfonso Cuaron - Gravity David O'Russell - American Hustle Martin Scorsese - The Wolf of Wall Street Steve McQueen - 12 Years a Slave* There's simply no way that Alfonso Cuaron isn't going to win Best Director. The film is a directors film all the way through. Yet, unlike other years, it feels like a fair year if any of the directors won (especially given there has only been one winner in the bunch.) Best Actor Bruce Dern - Nebraska* Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave Christian Bale - American Hustle Leonardo Di Caprio - The Wolf of Wall Street Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club Leonardo Di Caprio is overdue, that's a certainty. But is his role in The Wolf of Wall Street the one he deserves to be recognised for? I would argue that yes, it is. However, it's not a role which is easy to like him in. He's a possible upset against McConaughey, but really, it's Mr Alright Alright Alright's to take home. I still live in hope that Tom Hanks name will get called for Captain Phillips even though he isn't nominated. Best Actress Amy Adams - American Hustle* Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine Judi Dench - Philomena Meryl Streep - August: Osage County Sandra Bullock - Gravity I'm still unsure how Meryl Streep got a nomination this year. She's good in August: Osage County, but it's hardly a nomination worthy role. As has been mentioned elsewhere, her performance feels more like how much acting she can do, rather than how good her acting is. Cate Blanchett gives the performance of her career in Blue Jasmine. This is a performance which will be discussed in years ahead like Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood. The upset here could be Amy Adams as some people feels she's overdue. Though, if Amy Adams wins for an adequate performance and Leonardo Di Caprio doesn't, well, there's no justice. But we already knew that. Best Supporting Actor Barkhad Abdi - Captain Phillips Bradley Cooper - American Hustle* Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club Jonah Hill - The Wolf of Wall Street Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave Barkhad Abdi is so immensely powerful in Captain Phillips that it wouldn't be a surprise if he took away the award. He's a heroic villain. Bradley Cooper is the major contender against Jared Leto though. Leto's role is ok, his character is adequate, and he's getting all the buzz, but it's not a very memorable performance. Abdi's questioning about where the elders are at the end of Captain Phillips is powerful, Cooper's co-lead role is the best in American Hustle and he has the most interesting arc in the film as well. Best Supporting Actress Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle Julia Roberts - August: Osage County June Squibb - Nebraska Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave* Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine As much as it pains me to say, I believe that Jennifer Lawrence will win a second Oscar this year. The love for her is at fever point. She's serviceable in American Hustle, a role which is showy more than anything else. Lupita Nyong'o's abused slave is a heart breaking character, but less so for her arc and more for the actions taken against her. In another year Sally Hawkins or June Squibb would be getting a lot more attention; Hawkins in particular gives a career best performance alongside Cate Blanchett. Best Original Screenplay Bob Nelson - Nebraska Craig Borten - Dallas Buyers Club Eric Singer & David O'Russell - American Hustle* Spike Jonze - Her Woody Allen - Blue Jasmine If we're talking the most original screenplay, then hands down Spike Jonze's Her takes the cake. The screenplay categories tend to favour the odd films that other categories don't reward. Add the Lost in Translation comparisons, and Spike Jonze will be looking to clear a spot on his mantle. Depending on how much love the Academy wants to throw towards American Hustle though, they may throw the film a bone here. Maybe they feel O'Russell is overdue for any award and giving him a screenplay award is just as good as a Director. Best Adapted Screenplay Billy Ray - Captain Phillips John Ridley - 12 Years a Slave Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater - Before Midnight* Steve Coogan - Philomena Terence Winter - The Wolf of Wall Street There was a point where trilogies would get recognition for their final film. In a perfect world, Before Midnight would win here - a just reward for Delpy, Hawke and Linklater. However, unfortunately, 12 Years a Slave needs to win another award to make its Best Picture win easier to digest and this one will be it. Best Editing Alan Baumgarten, Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers - American Hustle Alfonso Cuaron, Mark Sanger - Gravity Christopher Rouse - Captain Phillips Joe Walker - 12 Years a Slave* John Mac McMurphy, Martin Pensa - Dallas Buyers Club Ah, editing. The precursor to saying 'this film will win Best Picture'. Captain Phillips won the ACE Eddies award. People are tipping Gravity's editing to win - and a film of perfect editing it is as well. The surprise could be 12 Years a Slave - a film which feels like it's heavy handed editing over anything else, just like Meryl Streep's performance in August: Osage County, the in your face editing reinforces the films 'slavery is bad' aspect. Best Cinematography Bruno Delbonnel, Inside Llewyn Davis Emmanuel Lubezki, Gravity Phedon Papamichael, Nebraska Phillipe Le Sourd, The Grandmaster Roger Deakins, Prisoners* Roger Deakins is overdue. Well overdue. He's a consummate cinematographer who is one of the finest in his field - in fact, quite possibly the finest in his field. Lubezki is also good, however just like last years Life of Pi, the cinematography is more computer assisted than in camera cinematography. Production Design 12 Years a Slave American Hustle Gravity The Great Gatsby* Her Sound Mixing Captain Phillips* Gravity The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Inside Llewyn Davis Lone Survivor Sound Editing All is Lost* Captain Phillips Gravity The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Lone Survivor Costume Design 12 Years a Slave* American Hustle The Grandmaster The Great Gatsby The Invisible Woman Sound Mixing/Editing, Costume Design and Production Design are so hard to tell as everyone votes for them. So whilst a film which truly excels at sound editing - as All is Lost apparently does - may deserve an Oscar for its fine job, it may not win. Same goes for Costume Design. A film like 12 Years a Slave has finely made costumes, as does The Great Gatsby, but maybe the cleavage on display in American Hustle may be taken as being great costumes over just a pretty dress. Original Score Alexandre Desplat - Philomena* John Williams - The Book Thief Steven Price-Gravity Thomas Newman - Saving Mr Banks William Butler, Owen Pallett- Her Steven Price's score in Gravity is the third character which helps drive the film. It's a fine score which helps build the tension perfectly. I haven't listened to the other scores, however the score for Her was damn fine. However, unlike Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, I can't see some of the guys from Arcade Fire winning an Oscar. Foreign Language Film The Broken Circle Breakdown The Great Beauty The Hunt* The Missing Picture Omar Apparently Blue is the Warmest Colour was robbed here. Sure, that's fine. I can't comment on it, or any of the other films here. However, The Hunt feels like a topical film which deserves a win. The Great Beauty feels like it will become a classic in years to come though. This award is all over the shop at times. Documentary Feature 20 Feet From Stardom The Act of Killing Cutie & the Boxer Dirty Wars The Square* As much as people would like The Act of Killing to win, it's just too much of a brutal film to win. The violence on display is all suggested, but it's still a film which is just too intense to reward. Maybe it will be like 12 Years a Slave where people reward it because it's the film they should reward, but I don't see that happening here. I feel people will have gladly watched a ninety minute film about backup singers rather than a two and a half hour epic about mass murders in Asia. Animated Feature The Croods Despicable Me 2 Ernest & Celestine Frozen The Wind Rises* The only chance of an upset here is if the Academy wants to reward Miyazaki one last time. He would deserve the win. Given the topical subjects Frozen deals with though, it's got the award in the bag already. Visual Effects Gravity The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug* Iron Man 3 The Lone Ranger Star Trek Into Darkness The dragon in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a great spectacle, but the effects in Gravity are just too great to ignore. Best Makeup Dallas Buyers Club Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa* The Lone Ranger Just like Norbit has come before it, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa has the better make up of the bunch here, but the Academy just won't reward an MTV film. Best Song Happy - Despicable Me 2 Let It Go - Frozen The Moon Song - Her Ordinary Love - Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom* Please, please Oscar Gods, don't reward U2. Please. Live Action Short Do I Have to Take Care of Everything? Helium Just Before Losing Everything That Wasnt Me The Voorman Problem Documentary Short Cave Digger Facing Fear Karama Has No Walls The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life Prison Days: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall
Animated Short Get a Horse! Mr Hublot Ferals Possessions Room on the Broom These shorts... fuck them. I can never pick them properly.
The best thing about this year though is that it's looking to be a genuinely enjoyable ceremony with a few surprise wins. Ellen Degeneres will no doubt be a bland host, but she's no James Franco.
A disclaimer to begin with: This is the first in a series of 'essays' that will work as a discussion point as to what the albums of the British band Gomez are about. First and foremost, the majority of what I'll be writing about in these 'essays' is simple conjecture and most likely misunderstanding of what the albums are about - if they are about anything at all other than just being good music. Some of the thoughts I have about the albums are slightly informed by interviews from members of the band, and are therefore personal opinion reading into these interviews. I know for fact that some of the songs on some albums are not about what I feel they are about, yet I'll state my opinion about them anyhow. I should also add that I'm not a seasoned essay writer so these ramblings may come off as little more than high school English song assessment writing. (Terrible fact: the song I chose in Year Eleven English to cover as an assessment of what the song meant was Tal Bachman's eternal 'hit' She's So High. My original choice was the simply way too easy Ana's Song by Silverchair. Tal Bachman's She's So High is still getting airplay to this day, whereas Ben Gilles is now best known as the husband of the woman that's on Real Housewives of Melbourne. See, I wasn't lying, that was a terrible fact.) The first album I'll discuss in this series is the last (or latest) album by Gomez, Whatever's On Your Mind.
Track Listing
Options
I Will Take You There
Whatever's On Your Mind
Just As Lost As You Are
The Place and the People
Our Goodbye
Song in My Heart
Equalize
That Wolf
X-Rays
Options starts the album in fine form with an immediate hint to the earlier style of Gomez. The messy, not always perfect style of Gomez. A guitar misses a beat, there's a cough and then a beginning. It harks back to the 'confused now' of Sweet Virginia, the inhale and exhale at the beginning of Blue Moon Rising 'some people like that', the rambling talking and laughing at the beginning of Hangover. It harks back to what Gomez once were. It's refreshing to hear.
What follows is a rowdy pop song which translates to one heck of a tune live. On the surface, Options is a pop song about being your own man, about standing up and not taking shit. Beneath that though is a song which hints at what Whatever's On Your Mind is really about - depression. There are a few levels that Options works on; as mentioned, a pop song about standing up for yourself. It's also a song about the difficulty of being in a band such as Gomez, about not giving up. And finally, it's a reaffirming song about standing up and not accepting depression anymore.
The later years of Gomez have been difficult, there's no denying that. Split the Difference - a fine album which will be discussed later - was a breaking point album. Fortunately for the fans they didn't throw in the towel. Whether there is infighting in the band, or just plain old tour stress, it's hard to tell. Options deals with that perfectly - 'I never wanted to change you, I only wanted to share'. It talks about the difficulty of deciding whether ending a band is the right move or not. Going and becoming a business man who soullessly sucks money from people is an option, but having this band means they have the option to continue doing that. They could throw it all in, never having truly reached the top and return to their parents house with nothing.
Options talks about the desire to succeed, to make it big, to become an idol, somebody or something that people look up to. It's about accepting whatever failures or troubles the other people in the group have and giving it a shot. The most telling aspect of Options being about the desire to succeed, knowing full well that the talent is there to succeed, comes in an alternative edit of Options where Ian sings 'I'm going to do the only thing that I know, get the boys back together for one last shot at the big time, that's ok, at least I've got options.'
Options is also the most radio friendly song the band has had in a while. It's a catchy song that has a great beat and is very easy to listen to. It's no wonder that it marked the first time the band appeared on Late Show with David Letterman and Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
It's telling that some members want to continue and make it to the top again - whilst touring Whatever's On Your Mind Ian Ball was successfully crowdfunding his next solo album Unfold Yourself via a pledgemusic campaign. Whilst it's not possible to tell who writes the lyrics for each song as the band is collectively credited as writers for the songs, one could hazard a guess and say that Ian had a strong hand in writing Options. On his Australian solo tour in 2013, he performed a version of Options which included those original lyrics about getting the boys back together. Gomez were on hiatus at the time (and still are at time of writing this essay).
So Options is about the band wanting to return to their Mercury Prize winning heights, but it's also about taking a stand against depression. It's about saying, yes I can be the guy who lives at the end of the street who is a little bit crazy and yells a bit, who most likely deals with depression, and that's ok. Depression is an illness that is devastating, but it's an illness which is accepted. Options talks about not accepting depression into your life anymore. It's about saying that you have options and you can be that successful business man. However, it also talks about the recurring nature of depression. About starting over and over again. Having to learn what depression forced you to unlearn. It's about being a beacon for others who suffer from depression and saying, yes, you can get through this and become someone that people can look up to.
Whatever's On Your Mind becomes an album about dealing with depression and about people trying to help others deal with depression as it flows through into I Will Take You There. A song which is relatively bare at first, but Tom's perfect singing carries the message of how devastating depression can be. I Will Take You There is about having someone to carry you through the depression - to take them away from the brick walls that are breaking down in their mind, to take them away from the waves that keep crashing in their mind and tearing away rational thought. It's about asking for help in times of need, shooting up a flare for assistance.
The way it builds into a crescendo of 'can you pick me, let me in and take me out' and the response of 'I will take you there' is quite something, especially when played live. It's the slow build of the oncoming anxiety attack, and then the crash of it hitting and the knowledge that someone may be there to help.
I Will Take You There flows into possibly the most literal song of the album, Whatever's On Your Mind. The title track talks quite explicitly about letting the depression or anxiety just flow away from you. The most honest and decent people can be brought down by depression, and Whatever's On Your Mind yearns for them to just simply let go of the depression and hold onto what makes them good because before you know if, the good person that's inside will be consumed whole by a terrible disease and the ones who love them will have lost them forever. It's about assisting those in need.
The video clip for Whatever's On Your Mind is a beautiful clip - one that works perfectly alongside their earlier video for We Haven't Turned Around - where the band are on a ship and the water is flying in their faces. Most effectively halfway through there is a shot of a woman with her back turned to the camera (either that, or Tom's hair suddenly got a lot longer) and then cuts to the boys singing with open arms, as if they have become the sirens calling her back to them.
Just As Lost As You Are is another reassuring song about saying that even though you may be going through depression, you aren't alone as there is always someone who is going through something feel better. The kicker about this is the question asked at the end of the song, 'does it make you feel any better?' Unfortunately, Gomez doesn't have answer to that question at all. The slightly hopeless 'hope it makes you feel a little better' feels pathetic, but it's sometimes the only comfort that can be provided.
Just As Lost As You Are is possibly one of the darker songs that Gomez has written in a while (at least since the spousal abuse ballad Fill My Cup). Depression can hit anyone, and Just As Lost As You Are talks about finding about someone else who has depression - a friend, a loved one, someone you look up to - and how easy it is to not notice that someone suffers from depression. Waking up and finding that the depression is still there, that it's not going anywhere.
Again with Place and the People, the lyrics suggest a fracture in the band. On the surface, it's a simple love song about people making mistakes and having those mistakes being accepted. It's a wonderful companion to How We Operate's girlshapedlovedrug - also sung by Tom. But it talks about the new beginnings which Gomez has tried to carve for themselves, the breaking of bread. What happens though when the new beginnings fail? When a band is fractured across the world and tries to remain whole? The bread goes stale, the relationship with people sours.
The Place and the People no doubt suggests at band members wanting to move apart and play with other people, or by themselves at least. Both Ben and Ian released new solo albums - and great ones at that - a few years after Whatever's On Your Mind's release. Was this the creative release they both needed to continue on with Gomez? Only another Gomez album will tell us whether this is the case or not.
As with some of Gomez's songs, The Place and the People is a song which is just ok on the album, but as a live song where the guys are playing as a group is where the song truly comes together. The harshest criticism against Whatever's On Your Mind is that it feels at times like a distant record, a record that was made without the members being in close proximity. During the production of the album they talked in interviews about creating the album across countries, and whilst the band can be commended for making the album in a difficult circumstance, it's noticeable how the lack of a close proximity to each other had affected the album.
Next up is Our Goodbye - a song about escaping, about wanting to get away from the curse that is depression. To be honest, for me it's a song which is usually skipped. It's not a bad song, but it's not a song which calls to me like the other songs do. At times, I get a little concerned that this is a song which hints at the end of Gomez. That it hints at people (as a group) breaking apart and forging a journey for themselves with their lover by their side.
Song in My Heart is a curious beast of a song. Alongside Our Goodbye, it's a pure love song. Gomez haven't particularly been known for writing love songs or ballads, but here one is. What's so curious about it is that it marks one of the few times that a Gomez song has been used for a commercial - to be honest, I couldn't name any other commercials that a Gomez song has been featured in, however there are many films and TV shows that have featured the music of Gomez.
Where some bands would say that having a song featured in a commercial is a signal of creative bankruptcy, it's worth noting that previous Gomez tour mates The Black Keys went on to have great success by having their music feature in a few commercials. Whether there was hope that a Ford commercial would help to boost the sales of Whatever's On Your Mind or not, is not certain. It's a boost for the band to have that recognition, even though it may not have flowed into having new fans or more sales. (A subject which will be discussed with How We Operate.)
Equalize is a funny song. From the demo tape to the final version, it's the song on the album that has the most distinct difference. The demo tape version sounds like something that wouldn't have been out of place on Ian's solo album Unfold Yourself. It's a political protest style song, but in the way that suggests that what they're protesting against is not a war or a government (like the great In Our Gun), but more protesting against the music giants who control where the money goes. Essentially Equalize (demo) is saying that no, nobody in this band will be substituted for anybody else. Everyone in this band is equal.
The demo is also the most British Gomez have ever sounded with the second half of the song coming across like some kind of New Order/Oasis beast. It's at once shocking because the sound of the singing is so different, but it's also one heck of a great difference. It's a wonder how the album would have been received if they went down this path for the album. No Gomez album feels the same, that's for sure, but if the band followed this path for this album it would have been truly different.
As it is though, the album version of Equalize is just as good as the demo version of Equalize. It's a showcase for Ben's perfect vocals and once again is another love song. Where Our Goodbye and Song in My Heart are unmistakable love songs - although many find their own story in Our Goodbye - Equalize is a love song which brings the albums theme of depression back.
'She's gorgeous when she sleeps, be careful not to wake the monster' feels like it's a slight on woman, but in fact Ben's singing about how escape only comes during sleep. What makes Equalize a profound song - especially given how it changed from the original version - is the rage that powers the song for the most of its length; the rage that lies beneath the eyes of the girl sleeping. In a way that only Ben can, he carries the song perfectly with his gravely devastating voice singing about how he wishes that the one he loves could stay in the safe world of dreaming instead of having to wake to the nightmare of depression. And then the key change - a key change which works so perfectly alongside Chasing Ghosts With Alcohol - hits and Ben goes soft and smooth, almost like a lullaby, and his gravely voice drifts away to become a soothing tone. Seen this way, Equalize soon becomes the most devastating song on the album - there is no escape from this disease.
That Wolf has a disconnect between the lyrics and the music that echoes the way depression causes people to twist words, to push people away. That Wolf tells a damning tale of what it's like to live with someone who has depression. It talks about how depression cuts a hole in a relationship. The words that can be said by someone with depression cut deep. The music is cheerful, however the lyrics talk about love not lasting forever and how the wolf of depression is right there behind, chomping, just waiting to devour the relationship whole.
And now, X-Rays. The strength of Whatever's On Your Mind lies - in my opinion - solely with X-Rays. It's the heart of the album, even though it is the final track. It is the closing statement, it is the summation of what has come before.
At its core, X-Rays is a surrender. It says, yes, depression is here and it's going to stay, but lets deal with it. Lets move forward with it. 'We didn't turn it on, but we can't turn it off' - it's one of the most haunting lyrics on the album, and it's one that could break you. But, X-Rays doesn't allow that to happen. A violin hits in - a rarity on a Gomez song and something that should be implemented more often (say, where are you visible brass section, are you still friends with the visible string section?) - and carries the song (and the album) to a new height. It carries it above the depression that existed before and once the violin has gone all that is left is a guitar and Ian's voice.
'It's time we made our final stop, and look for the air that is yet to be touched, by any other human being, being human'. There is a double meaning in this - the grasping for air from the gripping anxiety, and the destination of which the band Gomez has arrived. Where do they go from here? Is it their final stop, here, Whatever's On Your Mind? Possibly. Are they referencing themselves by saying that they need to look for the air that hasn't been touched by any other human? Two solo albums and no sight of another group album question whether Gomez will return again.
'Can we rediscover what we had? Oh, I never felt it dissolving, and it's nothing like we used to have, oh, we never saw it fading away, being human.'
Is it a call for an end? Or is it a call for a new beginning? There's talk of the distance between themselves not existing - and in a way it doesn't exist at all. The old saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder is usually reserved for people in love, but a fifteen year old band is a fine replacement for that. Long distance relationships can be difficult to maintain, and no doubt the creation of Whatever's On Your Mind would have been a difficult thing to do - but as a fan and a lover of Gomez, one should take solace in seeing the band play live and see how all that difficulty fades away.
All this talk of depression and separation is a hard thing to digest and get through. Sure enough, Whatever's On Your Mind is not like any other Gomez album - just as A New Tide is far from their beginning of Bring It On. As the title suggests, it's an assessment of what is going on within the band, what is going on within their lives. Whether one of the members has depression or not, or whether they know someone with depression, it is not my place to say. I can't make that judgement. As I mentioned at the beginning of this essay, this is all just conjecture. However, this is what the album says to me as a listener, as someone who loves Gomez - and is coming up to ten years of having loved the band.
Recently I've asked myself, would I be fine if Whatever's On Your Mind was Gomez's last album. I've only ever answered, yes. Is it an appropriate finish to what is an amazing run of albums? At times, yes. Options and X-Rays both show what the band is capable of. X-Rays, as an epitaph, works perfectly. However, I don't want the band to break up and stop touring. If they have creatively run out of steam, then so be it - it can happen of a fifteen year career. Maybe the release of Ian and Ben's solo albums will uncover a new burst of creativity within the band - it's obvious that neither Ben or Ian can stop creating music.
Part of why I decided to write this series of essays on the albums of Gomez is to help continue the love I have for the band. To find new ways of rediscovering the music of Gomez. Maybe one day somebody will do a google search and find these essays and also discover the greatness of Gomez like I did nine years ago. It's a partly selfish way of discussing the albums of my favourite band and getting my views out there.
The other reason is because deep down I feel that Whatever's On Your Mind may very well be the last album that Gomez release. (Or at least, it is the last for a while.) With the band nearing the longest period that they haven't released an album, I felt that now was the best time to take a look back at the career of Gomez.
I hope you have enjoyed reading the first essay. The next album I will tackle will be Split the Difference - the first Gomez album that I ever listened to.
