Here Come The Bombs

I have no idea what my subject is trying to say but i do know i'm pleased to have a new album/project coming out from Supergrass frontman; Gaz Coombes!So the next question you might ask of me could be why not 5 stars dear sir for such an artist you admire so very much? Well, this because Gaz is being punished for being in such a wonderully amazing band prior to this solo album. Is Here Come the Bombs to the level of Supergrass? No. Even the weakest Supergrass album, i think is better than this album BUT this is very much worthy owning if you dug Supergrass. Gaz still sounds great and there are some real defining moments of fantasticness on this album (whore comes to mind) The other reviewers who go into great depth, will break it down for you in a deeper way but i just wanted to toss out a review for a talented artist to let folks know it is an album worth owning IF you already have the other Supergrass albums.

This album actually has some really cool songs on it. I put this CD in my car disc player and it hasn't come out in ages. Anyone that is a fan of supergrass will definitely love this music. A couple of my favorites on this CD are simulator and sub- divider. Overall it is surprisingly solid all the way through. There aren't really any bad songs here.It is kind of like Supergrass meets a darker more futuristic vibe, almost Gorillaz like.A must listen for a Supergrass fan.

If you are a Supergrass/Gaz Coombes fan, this album is a must have. If this record were put out in place of Hoo Ha (the least stellar of the band's output, IMHO) then they would still be together. Really good lyrics, interesting progressions. I hope that he writes some originals on the upcoming Hot Rats release, and I certainly hope that when he gets a good crop of tunes that he comes out with another winner of a solo album.

This is a pretty good album. It was an album that took many listens to start getting into it. Id say if you expecting another Diamond Hoo Ha by Supergrass you might be disappointed. Some the tracks just seem kind of 'there' and lack a polished quality. For example a lot of the songs fade out and just seem to run into each other, but not in a good way. That aside Gaz is a great songwriter and there a few gems on here.

Pretty good album - not quite on the same level as Matador but definitely worth a listen.

Received the album and it was in great condition.

Totally awesome album, even better than the Supergrass albums. Love Hot Fruit, Sub-Divider, and Simulator. Bombs is the perfect intro to the album.

After a few contemplative listens, I firmly believe that Gaz Coombes' anticipated solo release was well worth the wait. Nearly every one of the tracks are masterfully crafted arrangements that fuse electronic loops, beats and sounds with the unmistakeable noise of the Burns as well as the conventional instrumentation layered throughout. The pop sensibility inherent in most of Gaz Coombes' music throughout the years is evident in countless thumping bass lines, rolling melodies, memorable, hook-laden choruses and explosive transitions from verse to refrain to bridge... It really is quite good on so many levels. The descriptions in the brilliantly-written first review summed up many of my feelings about the release as well as the years leading up to this moment, so I'll attempt to review the songs instead.The title track is a subdued and haunting lead in for what is to come. Using imagery that presents us with the perspective of a bomb breaking away and falling to earth, the sweeping strings and vocals sit atop a metronomic synthetic ticking that is audibly visible as the song begins and ultimately winds down.Track two, titled Hot Fruit, is anchored by a synth loop that follows the melody throughout the entire song and has enough punch in the chorus to make it worthy of being a single. A soft bridge splits the song, but it soon builds back up to an attack level as it drives towards the conclusion.The third track, Whore, uses an off-kilter driving beat to stumble gloriously through each verse while treating the listener to choruses made for shaking a tambourine, clapping or just going mental. The title is about the concept of unwanted or unfortunate (but inevitable) compromise in case anyone was looking at the name with trepidation. It is a rocker of a track.Sub-Divider was released to the public as a free download when the Gaz Coombes Presents website went online, and it is an amazing track. It has two distinct parts (similar in architecture to the way Tales of Endurance was arranged) with the second half taking off towards a climactic end. It is a perfect example of just how amazingly talented Gaz Coombes is when it comes to designing and developing a song.Universal Cinema is hard to describe as it has some very mellow attributes while hiding a few powerful sections lurking like a demigod riding a rhinoceros into a clearing. The reverb is heavy and the guitar is expertly layered in. There are some nice harmonies, a handful of Beatle-esque backward guitar layers and an abundance of talent evident. This is one to listen to and soak up like a technicolor puddle in the desert.The next track, Simulator, uses low-gain guitar and a pretty fast tempo to run through each verse only to have the chorus stomp through the experience. It is a fun song and rumored to be the next single following Hot Fruit. This one is another rocking tune that winds down quickly and beautifully at the end.I saw some video footage of White Noise before the song was released and it stood out as much then as now. It is a somewhat mellow offering that you nod your head to as it winds along. The harmony tracks that ride the current of the lead vocals are really brilliantly done and a few more tastefully inserted backwards guitar effects add to the mix. Not a rocker, but an important asset to the collection.Fanfare may appeal to some, so I won't poison the review with anything overly negative. It is very synth oriented (not a bad thing in itself, so don't get me wrong) and not really sung so much as it is spoken. It is neither a rocker nor a dreamy free-fall... It is my only non-essential in the whole bunch, but we all have our own preferences when it comes to this stuff so we'll leave it at that.The song Break the Silence returns us to the brilliance that is the Gaz Coombes song writing/delivering experience. The beat is pure pop, the synths are something out of Goldfrapp's best rhythms and the scope is as grand as they come. I think this one could easily have been a great single as it has so many appealing and catchy elements one can't help but get caught up in the thrills.The instrumental Daydream on a Street Corner is a soft sleepwalk towards the final track. Keyboard oriented and close to a lullaby in the way it is delivered, it sets the tone for the closer.Sleeping Giant leads the listener towards the dreamy conclusion of a nearly perfect collection of songs from Gaz Coombes. I can sometimes almost hear John Lennon in the vocals, though I'd probably be doing a disservice to Gaz Coombes. It winds things down and when the final notes drop you feel like you've completed a journey.I've attempted to avoid most comparisons to previous endeavors, but only because I've often hated hideously negative comparisons people make when a band goes in a new direction or a solo effort does not mimic former glory days. Having said that, I can honestly say that Here Come the Bombs was and is a pleasure to listen to.To find a collection that has a couple great songs is common and to stumble across a release that has a handful of really good songs is rare. The artist who puts out a new offering where nearly every song is really, really good is almost unheard of these days. Gaz Coombes delivered the unheard of with Here Come the Bombs... it is a masterful collection from an immensely talented guy.

Gurning on push bikes, nicknames emblazoned across T-shirts carefree in their bagginess; there's something quite poignant in looking back on the Supergrass presentation of 90s youth and vibrancy. Blur have been doing the festival rounds, Radiohead have gone from strength to strength and Liam remains Liam - why is it that these more miserable purveyors of Britpop have kept their original guises more or less in tact - but the image of Gaz et al bike-bouncing vanishes further into the distance?Tis a shame, and twas also when Supergrass finally split, over creative differences/personality clashes - whoever truly knows? The planned next Supergrass album was to be `Here Come the Drones', already hinting at the same themes present on the title being discussed.Here Come the Bombs is an impressive album. Listening to it, I'm almost left wondering if the lack of the trademark Supergrass humour was a dividing line between Gaz and the others. Instead, it is a record that ticks along, driven by skipping bass notes beneath layers of plucked acoustics, skittish drumming and of course Coombes' voice - politicking more than pumping on your stereo.My personal favourite track is Sub-Divider - but the first 2 give a good idea of the album's scope - from the gradually-building and understated title track to the more pulsating Hot Fruit. By the end of the album - Alright-era Supergrass will be merely a speck in your rear-view mirror. And perhaps this is no bad thing. I have not been remotely ignorant of the band's progress - fully appreciating the musical brilliance in `Take the Money...' for example - but it never occurred to me to pursue further who the driving force might be behind the band. In my mind - Gaz Coombes remained a youthful lovable 90s frontman but little else - until now.

First solo album from Gaz, and it's a good one. All 3 of his solo albums are excellent. Buy them all and enjoy!

Can't stop playing it! Someone needs to make sure Gaz Coombes is working on a follow up as we speak. Simulator best track,but bombs,wh*re and white noise not far behind. Be a while but will eventually replay all 6 Supergrass albums and b sides (especially the early ones).Class album!

Love his solo stuff

Saw Gaz Coombes live and really enjoyed it. There were only 2 songs on the album I actually enjoyed. The rest just seemed a bit random. I'll keep listening to it, maybe they'll grow on me. Still, I look forward to more of his stuff a I think he's amazing.