With 2004's Split The Difference, Gomez (one of the most consistently strong U.K. Rock bands of the last decade) tried once and for all to make a radio friendly success for longtime (and very patient) label Virgin Records by bringing in an outside producer for the first time (the highly sought after Tchad Blake) and writing shorter and more concise Pop tunes. Even though it was by far their most accessible release and their sound ironically even started to catch on with the Jam Band community, it was deemed a commercial failure and Gomez's ties with Virgin were finally cut. Enter Dave Matthews' imprint ATO (home to Gov't Mule and My Morning Jacket) who scooped up Gomez in a heart-beat with open arms - welcoming them into their Jam Band friendly community. Last year saw ATO release Gomez's long planned double live album Out West, and now Gomez have quickly followed that up with their fifth studio release How We Operate.

How We Operate is generally cut from the same cloth that Split The Difference was. Opting again to go with another outside producer, the venerable Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters, that dreadful Morningwood album from earlier this year) was brought in to further shore up the effort to get these guys some long-overdue, but strangely elusive commercial recognition. After listening to How We Operate many times, all I can say is that if radio and the general public doesn't recognize the Pop-sensibility that these somewhat offbeat geniuses are capable of bringing to the table - then SCREW em'. At least ATO is a much more suitable home for a band whose talent runs the gamut from Jam band chops and compositional brilliance to 3 minute commercial gems. It's a good feeling to have their future in the hands of someone like Matthews who will most likely support them come hell or tie-dyed water.

All three vocalists for Gomez have never sounded better. Ben Otwell's Blues style howl is still batting clean-up for these guys and it's no surprise that he steps up swinging on the best tune here, the banjo led self-titled track. Tom Gray and Ian Ball are certainly no slouches in their own right. Gray's "Notice" starts the pace of the album off beautifully and Ball has never been better than the work he does on the joyous and bouncy "Girlshapedlovedrug." Each and every critic on this site has consistently ranked their releases high in their yearly best-of lists and myself I've begged and pleaded with people to take notice of these guys for years and How We Operate is just another nail in the coffin of my confirmation. Other than Radiohead and Beck, I can't think of another act that has been this consistently fantastic over the last ten years and I for one wish they would finally get their just desserts because they've earned every penny.