By Leila Regan

Those "we’re not a jam band" jam bands: They seem to be everywhere these days. Starting with My Morning Jacket and ending with South, Gomez fits comfortably in the middle.

Though grouped with the plethora of post Brit-pop bands (late Verve, Portishead), Gomez’s live act shows that they are more than a remainder of an era.

Playing to an enthusiastic packed house of manic fans, the group failed to disappoint the high expectations of a loyal legion who had been waiting for their heroes to return (preferably to a non-Music Midtown venue).

Starting with the incredibly danceable 'Shot Shot,' the funk drove the crowd to hysteric dancing. Olly Peacock’s human beat machine drumming matches Ian Ball’s madman strumming of those furious chords, sounding suspiciously like Radiohead’s 'National Anthem.' But the song is all its own, mixing Britpop sunshine with Manchester rave enthusiasm, keeping tempo and excitement racing to the finish line.

New songs from the upcoming album (which will be here come spring, we are told) choose to keep with the Gomez tradition of flying all over the board. 'Silence' rocks out like the Who’s later days mixed with the young enthusiasm of Cast’s first album. Though sounding little like the Happy Mondays, the feeling of indie rock that is made to be danced to is so prominent that the Madchester spirit appears to be flowing through their veins.

Ranging from foreboding stormy skies ('Bring It On' and 'In Our Gun') to gospel-tinged Bonnaroo hippiedom ('Catch Me Up' and 'Bring Your Loving,' a rare, unreleased fan favorite), Gomez pushed the boundaries of what it is to be classified in one particular genre. Not satisfied with the generic three minute British pop song with the cockney beat (though with 'Get Myself Arrested' and 'Whippin’ Piccadilly' the band perform such a over-done style with flare and ingenuity), Gomez instead brings extra percussion and luscious back beats and pieces to create a path that wanders blithely, but ultimately knowing where the song is going. This sense of direction will always keep Gomez from unwittingly crashing into the jam band category.

www.gomez.co.uk