Based around the songwriting of Raymond Weir and the vocals of Leigh Myles, Gum released this, their debut album, to rave reviews in 2003. There are trippy moments (like the hypnotic ‘Surrender’), some mellow acoustic vibes (the oh so sweet ‘Tomorrow’) and even some driving power pop (‘Cigarette Song’) in this literate and quirky collection. Leigh’s voice is wonderful throughout, and the production cleverly exploits the spooky atmospherics created by the band to lift these tracks above the realms of ordinary everyday pop. Although they have the odd happy moment, Gum is definitely not a sweetness-and-light band. ‘Is everybody happy’ (surely one of the few songs ever written about a sex clinic for depressed adults?) has a rather sinister quality, while the bitter and recriminatory ‘Frozen Out’ would not sound out of place on Radiohead\'s \'OK Computer\'. It’s hard to talk about Gum without focusing on the silky vocals and stunning looks of Leigh Myles, but the material is strong and backs her up all the way. She’s probably in her natural habitat on a track like the very dreamy ‘Sun splits the sky’ which would sit nicely in any Ibiza ‘chilled’ collection. Reviewers have compared them to acts like Air, Sneaker Pimps and The Cardigans, but Gum’s atmospheric sound is firmly rooted in quality songwriting, timelessly melodies and great singing. This is a pretty impressive opening collection of songs.