This is a test of the emergency music critic system. Note to Gomez: Supergrass called, they want their cover art to Life on Other Planets back! We now return you to your regularly scheduled album review.

Gomez are just one of those bands that, in my eyes, have an extremely difficult time doing anything wrong (except ripping off cover art). They have a unique formula of having three lead singers that are all incredibly strong vocalists; while blending a brilliant formula of folk rock that was prominent on their first two releases Bring It On and Liquid Skin, with the experimental textures that were featured on the excellent In Our Gun. Now on Split the Difference, Gomez try to hone in on bringing that sound all together, by hiring outside help for the first time in the person of producer Tchad Blake which has proven to be a good move.

Split the Difference starts off with a bang with the excellent "Do One" followed by the pulse pounding "These 3 Sins." The third track, "Silence," is probably the most radio friendly song Gomez have ever written, and with the recent successes of Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand, this could be the one that breaks them into the mainstream if Virgin plays their cards right; but then again this is the label that gave Mariah Carey 80 million dollars, so don't count on it. "Me, You and Everybody" and the excellent album closer "There It Was" showcase Ben Ottwell's amazing 60 year old black man stuck in a late 20 year old's larynx quite well, and speaking of old black men, Gomez also do a fantastic modernized version of Junior Kimborough's "Meet Me in the City." It speaks volumes of how good this band is when I'm willing to give Split the Difference a 4, and still say in full honesty that this is their weakest album to date. But like I said, it seems that this band is just not capable of mediocrity at least so far in their 6 year career