Without altering their basic foundation, Gomez throws in the cool, crisp rhythms of electronica while retaining the soulful hookiness that has distinguished its previous output and earned the group a press kit full of deserved accolades. Ben Ottewell's mellow croon gives "Rex Kramer" and "Miles End" that distinctive Gomez smolder and charm while the band shows off its ecstatic pop chops on the propulsive "Shot Shot" and the syncopated "Detroit Swing 66," which, combined with their new sonic horizons, make for an effective genre mutation. The moody title track starts off with Ian Ball in a quiet Nick Drake folk mode but slowly builds to a funky, techno-laden break that blips and phase-shifts to an illogical but totally appropriate butt-shaking conclusion, while the band exhibits a Devoish wave bend with the quirky "Ruff Stuff."
Even with its newfound interest in synthetics on In Our Gun, Gomez never loses sight of the natural sonic fibers that have garnered the band acclaim and slavish fans in nearly equal amounts in the past five years.