Split the Difference | ||||
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Studio album by Gomez | ||||
Released | 17 May 2004 | |||
Recorded | ? | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 50:30 | |||
Label | Hut (Virgin) | |||
Producer | Gomez, Tchad Blake | |||
Gomez chronology | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 71/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
The A.V. Club | favourable |
Entertainment Weekly | B |
The Guardian | |
NME | 3/10 |
The Observer | unfavourable |
Pitchfork Media | 5.7/10 |
PopMatters | favourable |
Q | |
Rolling Stone |
Split the Difference is the 2004 album by UK band Gomez. It is their fourth studio album.
While Gomez's first three albums had been self-produced, the band entered its new recording studio in Portslade in East Sussex with Tchad Blake as producer. Blake had previously produced albums by Tom Waits and Crowded House. The pick of the dozens of tracks produced during the 18 months in the studio became their fourth album Split the Difference released in May 2004.
The album reached the top 40 at number 35 in the UK in May 2004. In the same month, the first single "Catch Me Up" entered the UK top 40 at number 36 while "Silence" and "Sweet Virginia" failed to hit top 40.Despite not seeing great success in the UK (it was their last album to chart in the top 40) it was the band's first success in the US, charting at the lower end of the billboard 200.
The album was met with mixed critical response, with Allmusic rating it as four stars out of five and BBC Internet Music Reviews describing it as "one of the finest releases of the year so far. If you were one of those people who wrote them off two years ago, it's time to get listening again." [1] However, the album received less than favourable reviews from a number of other sources, including Pitchfork Media and NME.
In an effort to build their popularity in the US, Gomez toured extensively throughout the year. With Ian Ball relocating to Los Angeles with his wife, the band played at venues across the US in 2004, with the band being part of the 2004 Lollapalooza tour.
The song, "Where Ya Going?", was featured in the trailer for the FX original series Sons of Anarchy.