Gomez's Liquid Skin is one of my favorite albums of the 1990s. The most immediately striking aspect of the band is the voice of the lead singer, Ben Ottewell. His gravelly voice is particularly perplexing when you see him in person, as he looked like a tall, skinny nerd (at least he did in those days). But the reason this album succeeds for me is the different voices in the band (three guys sing lead), and the almost rootsy approach the band takes in the studio. There are a lot of acoustic guitars, and some of the songs almost feel like campfire renditions.
However, the production is way too professional to be mistaken for lo-fi. My favorite song on the album, "We Haven't Turned Around," introduces strings and features some of Ottewell's best singing. As a bonus, this song is playing in the background in a scene from the movie American Beauty.
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