Bella Union
2007
Brand New Towns
About This Album
Following the same path he took in his 2005 album Etherville, on Brand New Towns Robert Gomez plays shimmery, melancholy indie pop songs that speak of love found and love lost, layering his vocals delicately over acoustic guitar and piano, strings and brass, melodica and organ. But despite all of this, Gomez's music is anything but ornate; it's chamber pop played in the Texas plains, without pretension or excess adornment. In fact, it's the sparseness of it all that comes across more than the gloomy cello or plinking keyboards, echoing through his soft voice and intimate lyrics. He's definitely taken a clue from Elliott Smith, double-tracking his vocals into the sad but slightly threatening melodies that the late singer did so well. "You're so perfect without me," he whispers in the lovely, neo-Baroque "Perfect," with bittersweet piano and French horn weaving around behind, gently building up and then coming away, only a hesitant accordion backing him as he mumbles "I still remember the time we ran away," the longing and the regret almost more audible than the words themselves. Unlike Smith, however, Gomez also writes happier songs, where people are content and in love, or at least have the possibility of arriving there.
Track List (try tracks 1,3,5 and 9)

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