Spoon | ||
| Allmusic Biography : With a heady blend of precision punk and serpentine classic rock (the band has drawn comparisons to everyone from the Pixies and Sonic Youth to Elvis Costello and Tom Petty), Texas-based indie outfit Spoon went from underground press darlings to one of the genres most critically acclaimed acts. Formed in Austin by singer/guitarist Britt Daniel and drummer Jim Eno, Spoon released its debut EP, Nefarious, on the small Texas imprint Fluffer Records in 1994, eventually re-recording three of the songs for its 1996 full-length debut, Telephono, for Matador. The album was noisy, hook-filled, and generally well-received, but it wasnt until 1997s Soft Effects EP that the group began to hone in on the tight, minimalist pop that would become its forte. A brief and tumultuous affair with Elektra Records began in 1998 with the release of A Series of Sneaks, and quickly ended after the band was dropped in the midst of an internal company shake-up (the record was reissued in 2002 on Merge with two bonus tracks that chronicled the groups disappointment with major-label politics). It was with prominent indie label Merge that the band would go on to carve out its niche in the increasingly widening modern rock mainstream, specifically with Girls Can Tell (2001) and Kill the Moonlight (2002) (the latter spawned the single "The Way We Get By," which appeared on the popular teen drama The O.C.), both of which found the group taking a more adventurous approach with its sound. Released in 2005, Gimme Fiction soared even higher, debuting at number 44 on the Billboard charts and selling over 160,000 copies, while 2007s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga made it to number ten and sold over 300,000 copies in the U.S., topping nearly every major critics year-end list. Spoon, who by this time had become a fixture on soundtracks, television programs, and late-night talk shows, released its seventh full-length album, Transference, on January 18, 2010. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. After touring in support of the album, the band took a few years off. Daniel formed Divine Fits with Handsome Furs Dan Boeckner, and the band released its debut album, A Thing Called Divine Fits, in 2012. Meanwhile, Eno concentrated on production work, collaborating with artists including the Strange Boys, Alejandro Escovedo, and the Heartless Bastards. Spoon resurfaced in 2014 with They Want My Soul. The bands eighth album also marked their first time working with an outside producer in the shape of Dave Fridmann. Hailed by the band as its "loudest and gnarliest" work to date, it was released in August 2014 through Loma Vista Recordings in the U.S. and Anti in Europe. Late in 2016, the song "I Aint the One" was featured on the Showtime dramedy Shameless, offering the first taste of Spoons ninth album. Hot Thoughts, which reunited the band with Fridmann and ranged from dance-rock to stripped-down ballads, was released by Matador in March 2017. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 18 Title: Telephono Released: 1996-04-23 Tracks: 14 Duration: 35:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Dont Buy the Realistic (03:54) 2 Not Turning Off (03:08) 3 All the Negatives Have Been Destroyed (02:37) 4 Cvantez (02:45) 5 Nefarious (02:47) 6 Claws Tracking (02:32) 7 Dismember (01:45) 8 Idiot Driver (01:37) 9 Towner (03:05) 10 Wanted to Be Your (01:52) 11 Theme to Wendel Stivers (01:59) 12 Primary (01:25) 13 The Government Darling (02:23) 14 Plastic Mylar (03:26) |
| Telephono : Allmusic album Review : Amped-up acoustic guitars, jumpy song structures, and punk attitude combine in Telephono, the debut album from Austins Spoon. Their girl-boy harmonies, spiky guitars, and soft-loud dynamic shifts recall the Pixies, and barring Kim Deal and Frank Blacks reconciliation, Telephono is the next best thing to a reunion by that group. Short, energetic bursts like "Dont Buy the Realistic" and "Claws Tracking" have a raw, angry attitude missing in most alternative and indie music today, and the groups quieter moments like "Cvantez" and "Towner" have a directness that suits them well. Highlights include "Theme to Wendell Stivers," a fun, space-surf instrumental, and "Plastic Mylar," an entertaining, shiny pop song. While theyre not the most original band, Spoon have created an enjoyably raw, punky album that only borrows from the best. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 18 Title: Soft Effects Released: 1997-01-21 Tracks: 5 Duration: 14:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mountain to Sound (03:50) 2 Waiting for the Kid to Come Out (02:40) 3 I Could See the Dude (01:58) 4 Get Out the State (02:50) 5 Loss Leaders (03:30) |
 | Album: 3 of 18 Title: A Series of Sneaks Released: 1998-04-28 Tracks: 14 Duration: 33:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Utilitarian (01:51) 2 The Minor Tough (02:42) 3 The Guestlist/The Execution (02:03) 4 Reservations (02:35) 5 30 Gallon Tank (04:01) 6 Car Radio (01:29) 7 Metal Detektor (03:38) 8 June’s Foreign Spell (03:01) 9 Chloroform (01:09) 10 Metal School (02:52) 11 Staring at the Board (00:54) 12 No You’re Not (01:41) 13 Quincy Punk Episode (02:17) 14 Advance Cassette (02:52) |
 | Album: 4 of 18 Title: Love Ways Released: 2000-10-24 Tracks: 5 Duration: 15:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Change My Life (04:29) 2 I Didnt Come Here to Die (03:08) 3 Jealousy (02:09) 4 The Figures of Art (01:46) 5 Chips and Dip (04:01) |
 | Album: 5 of 18 Title: Girls Can Tell Released: 2001-02-19 Tracks: 11 Duration: 36:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Everything Hits at Once (04:04) 2 Believing Is Art (04:19) 3 Me and the Bean (03:33) 4 Lines in the Suit (03:47) 5 The Fitted Shirt (03:12) 6 Anything You Want (02:16) 7 Take a Walk (02:26) 8 1020 AM (02:10) 9 Take the Fifth (03:56) 10 This Book Is a Movie (03:33) 11 Chicago at Night (02:47) |
| Girls Can Tell : Allmusic album Review : Time may not exactly heal all wounds, but it can lend the perspective and strength to channel pain into something positive. Such is the case with Spoon; their perennial indie rock underdog status and disastrous stint on Elektra have focused and tempered the trios brash energy instead of crushing it. Their third full-length, Girls Can Tell, reflects the groups lean, hungry stance in its spare, spiky, immaculately crafted songs. "Take the Fifth" and "Take a Walk" take Spoons smart, bouncy, slightly tough signature sound to another level; while the ghosts of the Pixies, Nirvana, and Elvis Costello still haunt songs like "Lines in the Suit," Girls Can Tells sharp wordplay, barbed guitars, and appealingly raw vocals prove that the group embraces their influences without becoming slaves to them. Britt Daniels increasingly eclectic and expansive songwriting comes to the forefront on "Everything Hits at Once," a taut, brooding pop song driven by vibes, keyboards, yearning, and pride; "Me and the Bean" suggests the direction alternative/indie rock should have taken after Nirvanas implosion. This album is also Spoons most emotionally eclectic collection of songs, ranging from "Anything You Want," a sunny pop song drawn with just a few artfully placed strokes to "1020 AM," a brooding, slightly psychedelic piece of folk-rock that recalls Daniels Drake Tungsten side project. "This Book Is a Movie," an appropriately tense, filmic instrumental, and "Chicago at Night," a slightly spooky pop song with winding guitars and an off-kilter melody, complete Girls Can Tell, making it Spoons most mature, accomplished work to date and a fine balance of fire and polish. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 18 Title: Kill the Moonlight Released: 2002-08-20 Tracks: 12 Duration: 34:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Small Stakes (03:00) 2 The Way We Get By (02:40) 3 Something to Look Forward To (02:17) 4 Stay Don’t Go (03:35) 5 Jonathon Fisk (03:15) 6 Paper Tiger (03:07) 7 Someone Something (02:48) 8 Dont Let It Get You Down (03:29) 9 All the Pretty Girls Go to the City (03:12) 10 You Gotta Feel It (01:29) 11 Back to the Life (02:21) 12 Vittorio E. (03:39) |
| Kill the Moonlight : Allmusic album Review : Coming just a year-and-a-half after their triumphant return Girls Can Tell, Kill the Moonlight isnt so much a step backward as a step sideways, almost like a breather after the emotional and musical intensity of their previous album. It isnt surprising, really, that the group would choose to follow such a cathartic album as Girls Can Tell with a collection of tougher, leaner, and meaner songs like "All the Pretty Girls Go to the City," which sounds like the inverse of Girls "Everything Hits at Once"; "The Way We Get By," a prime example of Spoons smart, nervy rock; or the spare, spooky pop of "Paper Tiger" and "Someone Something." It is somewhat surprising, however, that Spoon managed to pare down their sound even more on Kill the Moonlight -- tracks such as "Small Stakes" and "Something to Look Forward To" are so stripped-down and sculpted that theyre practically aerodynamic; the only problem is that they dont always take off from there. Still, even the albums sparest moments feature Spoons much-heralded knack with catchy melodies and hooks, even if songs such as "Dont Let It Get You Down" would be even more memorable with a slightly more fleshed-out approach. Hints of this appear on the songs with unique production twists, such as "Stay Dont Go," which sports a human beatbox rhythm; on the distant backing vocals and baritone saxes of "You Gotta Feel It"; and on the album-closer, "Vittorio E.," an undulating, vaguely psychedelic ballad that finally gives the bands playing and songwriting the full treatment they deserve. Though the albums brittle immediacy is far from a disappointment, and the quick turnaround between Kill the Moonlight and their previous one is a treat for Spoon fans, one cant help but notice that this album just isnt as revelatory as Girls Can Tell. But even if the artistic course Spoon seems to be plotting is two steps forward, one step back, its more than rewarding enough to enjoy every stop on the journey. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 18 Title: Jonathon Fisk / Stay Don’t Go Released: 2002-09-16 Tracks: 4 Duration: 12:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Jonathon Fisk (03:15) 2 Stay Don’t Go (03:35) 3 Is This the Last Time? (03:01) 4 In the Right Place the Right Time (02:42) |
 | Album: 8 of 18 Title: The Way We Get By Released: 2003-09-15 Tracks: 7 Duration: 20:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Way We Get By (02:43) 2 Metal Detektor (live) (02:04) 3 I Am the Key (live) (02:17) 4 Anticipation (live) (02:18) 5 Someone Something (live) (02:35) 6 Me and the Bean (live) (03:30) 7 Advance Cassette (live) (05:13) |
 | Album: 9 of 18 Title: Gimme Fiction Released: 2005-05-09 Tracks: 15 Duration: 56:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Beast and Dragon, Adored (04:18) 2 The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine (02:58) 3 I Turn My Camera On (03:32) 4 My Mathematical Mind (05:02) 5 The Delicate Place (03:42) 6 Sister Jack (03:35) 7 I Summon You (03:55) 8 The Infinite Pet (03:56) 9 Was It You? (05:02) 10 They Never Got You (04:59) 11 Merchants of Soul (02:49) 1 Carryout Kids (02:47) 2 You Was It (03:57) 3 I Summon You (demo) (04:00) 4 Sister Jack (piano demo) (01:43) |
| Gimme Fiction : Allmusic album Review : The three-year stretch between Gimme Fiction and Kill the Moonlight was the longest gap between Spoons albums since the end of their disastrous relationship with Elektra Records helped put two and a half years between A Series of Sneaks and Girls Can Tell. In its own way, Gimme Fiction feels like as much of a refinement on what came before it as Girls Can Tell did at the time: theatrical and seething with late-night menace, the album sounds bigger than Spoons previous work, with keyboards, guitars, and string parts courtesy of the Tosca Strings. But even within this scope, the bands eye for detail remains. Everything about Gimme Fiction, from its artwork -- which looks like photographer Irving Penn doing a surreal fashion spread on Little Red Riding Hood for Vogue Magazine -- to the sound effects that embellish each song, is meticulous. Fortunately, "meticulous" doesnt mean "precious." The albums first three tracks show that Spoon can make music thats intricate and rousing at the same time: "The Beast and Dragon, Adored" is a slow-building preface, mentioning later song titles and introducing Gimme Fictions big, brooding sound. "The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine," a string-driven tale of a mysterious gentleman/cad, boasts some of Britt Daniels cleverest storytelling, while "I Turn My Camera On" turns voyeurism and emotional distance into an irresistible groove that sounds like a tense rewrite of the Stones "Emotional Rescue" (later on, the intro of "They Never Got You" sounds strangely like Hall & Oates "Maneater" -- its nice to hear them include 70s and 80s references that arent the post-punk and new wave influences borrowed by so many other indie bands, or even the Elvis Costello nods that shaped so much of their earlier work). The opening trio of songs is so strong that it tends to overpower the album at first, but other standouts eventually surface: "My Mathematical Mind" is one long verse, broken by instrumental interludes, that keeps building tension with riveting results. On the other hand, the relatively lighthearted "Sister Jack" and pretty but jittery acoustic ballad "I Summon You" emphasize just how moody and nocturnal the rest of the album is. Indeed, restrained tracks like "The Delicate Place," "The Infinite Pet," and "Merchants of Soul" seem to be more about supporting Gimme Fictions mood than standing out as great songs. "Meticulous," "distant," and "restrained" arent the most likely adjectives to describe a good rock album, but they fit Gimme Fiction perfectly. With this album, Spoon continue to build one of the most consistent and distinctive bodies of work in indie rock -- even as they change and take chances from album to album, they end up sounding exactly how they should each time. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 18 Title: Telephono / Soft Effects EP Released: 2006-07-25 Tracks: 19 Duration: 50:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Dont Buy the Realistic (03:54) 2 Not Turning Off (03:08) 3 All the Negatives Have Been Destroyed (02:37) 4 Cvantez (02:45) 5 Nefarious (02:47) 6 Claws Tracking (02:32) 7 Dismember (01:45) 8 Idiot Driver (01:37) 9 Towner (03:05) 10 Wanted to Be Your (01:52) 11 Theme to Wendel Stivers (01:59) 12 Primary (01:25) 13 The Government Darling (02:23) 14 Plastic Mylar (03:26) 1 Mountain to Sound (03:50) 2 Waiting for the Kid to Come Out (02:41) 3 I Could See the Dude (01:58) 4 Get Out the State (02:50) 5 Loss Leaders (03:30) |
 | Album: 11 of 18 Title: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Released: 2007-07-07 Tracks: 10 Duration: 36:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Dont Make Me a Target (03:55) 2 The Ghost of You Lingers (03:34) 3 You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb (03:08) 4 Don’t You Evah (03:36) 5 Rhthm & Soul (03:30) 6 Eddie’s Ragga (03:39) 7 The Underdog (03:42) 8 My Little Japanese Cigarette Case (03:03) 9 Finer Feelings (04:54) 10 Black Like Me (03:25) |
| Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga : Allmusic album Review : "Attention to detail" doesnt necessarily sound like the secret ingredient to brilliant rock & roll, but in Spoons case, it comes second only to inspiration. Britt Daniel, Jim Eno, and company keep finding ways to challenge themselves and their listeners by working within the same basic, streamlined sonic framework they crafted on Girls Can Tell, adding a few new twists here and there with each album. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga just might be the most winning update on this approach since Girls Can Tell itself: each song is as carefully and creatively pruned as a bonsai tree, with nothing fussy or superfluous to mar the clean lines of the songwriting or arrangements. This is especially impressive considering that on this album, Spoon works with their widest array of sounds yet. Everything from kotos to chamberlains to horns straight out of Motown are fair game on Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, but theyre used so deftly and judiciously that they never feel like window dressing. As on Gimme Fiction, the band maps out Ga Ga Ga Ga Gas territory within the first three tracks. "Dont Make Me a Target" is a sleek yet gritty prologue designed to draw listeners in like Fictions "The Beast and Dragon, Adored," and its seductive pull only heightens the impact of "The Ghost of You Lingers." All pounding pianos and fleeting, fragmented verses, the song initially feels like its all buildup and no release, but this insistent yet incomplete feeling is what makes it haunting and brilliant: its circling thoughts and echoes upon echoes feel like youre chasing the song -- or its subject -- to no avail. Even if "The Ghost of You Lingers" almost perversely avoids hooks, "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb"s homage to blue-eyed soul delivers them in abundance. Ga Ga Ga Ga Gas songs are svelte, especially compared to Gimme Fiction, yet theyre far from starved. Interesting details decorate the margins of these songs, whether its the studio chatter that revs up "Dont You Evah" or the fascinatingly fragmented lyrics of "Eddies Ragga" ("there aint no getting over Joanie Hale-Maier"). Jon Brion pops up bass, chamberlain, and production duties on "The Underdog," one of Spoons bounciest, brassiest nods to classic pop in a long time, and a perfect contrast to the exotic, spooky minimalism of "My Little Japanese Cigarette Case"s shivery kotos and Spanish guitars. Concise and lively ("Black Like Me" is as close as the album gets to a ballad), Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is a remarkable blend of focus and creativity; even if Spoons modus operandi seems overly regimented on paper, the results are just as elegant as they are fun. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 18 Title: Dont You Evah Released: 2008-04-08 Tracks: 8 Duration: 34:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Don’t You Evah (03:36) 2 All I Got Is Me (03:23) 3 Dont You Evah (Ted Leos I Want It Hotter remix) (03:58) 4 Dont You Evah (Diplo mix) (05:10) 5 Dont You Evah (Matthew Dear mix) (05:41) 6 Dont You Evah (DJ Amaze & Alan Astor mix) (05:32) 7 Dont You Evah (Doc Delay Fixerupper) (03:45) 8 Dont You Ever (The Natural History original version) (03:40) |
 | Album: 13 of 18 Title: Transference Released: 2010-01-19 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:00:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Before Destruction (03:17) 2 Is Love Forever? (02:07) 3 The Mystery Zone (04:59) 4 Who Makes Your Money (03:44) 5 Written in Reverse (04:18) 6 I Saw the Light (05:32) 7 Trouble Comes Running (03:05) 8 Goodnight Laura (02:28) 9 Out Go the Lights (04:36) 10 Got Nuffin (03:58) 11 Nobody Gets Me but You (14:56) 12 Tweakers (03:43) 13 Strokes Their Brains (03:31) |
| Transference : Allmusic album Review : Given Spoon’s reputation for consistency, it’s not a surprise that Transference is good. However, it manages to be good in surprising ways. This time, the band’s quest to get to the heart of their songs led them to take matters into their own hands and produce this album themselves -- a first, which seems somewhat remarkable, considering the band’s tight control over their sound. The single “Got Nuffin” preceded Transference by six months, and its stripped-down rock was the first hint that this album might not continue Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’s meticulous production and pop songcraft. As marvelous as the precision of that album was, the rough edges here are refreshing. Transference’s title may refer to subconscious emotional shifts, but these are some of the most direct and uncompromising songs Spoon has written. They have all the gritty promise of demos (in fact, many of these songs are basically demos), with a roomy sound that just underlines their urgency. Compared to Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and Gimme Fiction’s polish, the Who-esque “Trouble Comes Running” might as well have been recorded on a four-track, while “Goodnight Laura”’s intimacy and imperfections make it a braver and more vulnerable lullaby. Any veneers in Britt Daniels writing have been stripped away along with the sonic gloss, revealing songs that are more emotional, and filled with more emotions: “Written in Reverse” is the fieriest Spoon song in years, all bashed pianos and snarled vocals comparing the odd happy moments in a dying relationship to high school poppers. “I Saw the Light” is pure, in-the-moment discovery with an expansive instrumental coda that’s just as impassioned as Daniels vocals. While Spoon’s music is almost always economical, it’s rarely simple, and Transference throws their complex contrasts into high relief. They ask the big question “Is Love Forever?,” but the more the beat hammers down and the more Daniel repeats “are you quite certain, love?” the more elusive the answer seems. “Who Makes Your Money?,” on the other hand, cloaks another tough question in a sinuous groove and spacy keyboards. Spoon take a zigzag path with each album, and Transference often feels like an equal and opposite reaction to Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’s immediacy. But just because the band’s pop side isn’t the focus here doesn’t mean that moments like “The Mystery Zone”’s insistent groove aren’t earworms in their own way. Even if these aren’t Spoon’s easiest songs, they still deliver the best things about the band -- smarts, wit, hooks -- without any difficulty. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 18 Title: Bonus Tracks 2008-2009 Released: 2010-11 Tracks: 10 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Was It You (demo) (?) 2 Rhythm and Soul (demo) (?) 3 Dont Let It Get You Down (demo) (?) 4 Cherry Bomb (Country demo) (?) 5 My Little Japanese Cigarette Case (Oceanside demo) (?) 6 Merchants of Soul (demo) (?) 7 Eddies Raga (demo) (?) 8 My Mathematical Mind (demo) (?) 9 You Gotta Feel It (rehearsal) (?) 10 In the Right Place the Right Time (demo) (?) |
 | Album: 15 of 18 Title: They Want My Soul Released: 2014-08-04 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:15:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rent I Pay (03:10) 2 Inside Out (05:02) 3 Rainy Taxi (03:58) 4 Do You (03:33) 5 Knock Knock Knock (04:39) 6 Outlier (04:22) 7 They Want My Soul (03:22) 8 I Just Dont Understand (02:38) 9 Let Me Be Mine (03:26) 10 New York Kiss (03:27) 1 Rent I Pay (03:10) 2 Inside Out (05:02) 3 Rainy Taxi (03:58) 4 Do You (03:33) 5 Knock Knock Knock (04:39) 6 Outlier (04:22) 7 They Want My Soul (03:22) 8 I Just Dont Understand (02:38) 9 Let Me Be Mine (03:26) 10 New York Kiss (03:27) |
| They Want My Soul : Allmusic album Review : After spending the 2000s churning out consistently good albums, Spoon were due for a break. 2010s Transference reflected their weariness in its beautifully frayed collage of demo and studio recordings, so the four-year gap that followed wasnt surprising. During that time, Jim Eno produced albums by !!! and the Heartless Bastards; Eric Harvey released the solo album Lake Disappointment, and Britt Daniel formed Divine Fits with Dan Boeckner. That project couldnt help but rub off on Spoons next album, especially since Daniel wrote much of They Want My Soul shortly after touring with Divine Fits and brought keyboardist Alex Fischel into the fold. Spoons time off paid off; if they were weary before, here theyre reinvigorated but self-aware. On several of these ten songs, Daniel laments that "they" want a piece of him, and the album revolves around obligations -- spiritual, romantic, financial -- that make for a witty focus for the bands first major-label album in over 15 years. On "The Rent I Pay," one of their best fusions of the Rolling Stones and Wire, Daniel pays his dues and defies them ("I aint your dancer") while Enos mighty snare hits signal that Spoon is back. On the albums title track, he includes Kill the Moonlight inspiration Jonathon Fisk among the laundry list of folks who want his vital force, but the irresistible harmonies and guitars give the songs paranoia an almost romantic tinge. Later, the standout "Let Me Be Mine" teeters between freedom and commitment with exuberant outbursts and chilly breakdowns reminiscent of Transference. But where that albums messy vulnerability was a big part of its appeal, They Want My Souls sound is much tighter, thanks to two established sound-shapers: Dave Fridmann, whose intricate work embellished the music of the Shins and Sleater-Kinney, and Joe Chiccarelli, who produced the more mainstream likes of Jason Mraz and Counting Crows. However, the results are unquestionably Spoon. The hooky, strummy "Do You" is their version of a radio-friendly hit, while "Outlier" dresses its disses (“I remember when you walked out of Garden State/You had taste" takes aim at the songs subject and Zach Braffs movie) in busy percussion and swirling organs that borrow from late-80s baggy. Songs like this, the sparkling "Rainy Taxi," and the swooning "New York Kiss" -- which could be a Divine Fits song -- showcase the depth Fischels keyboards add to the band. A few indie quirks remain: many of They Want My Souls most immediate tracks are at the bottom, and some of these songs take time to reveal themselves. "Knock Knock Knock"s bristling guitars tip Daniels hand more than his elliptical lyrics, while the raw cover of "I Just Dont Understand" feels like as much of a disguise as the more cryptic moments. Still, They Want My Soul is more of a welcome return than a comeback, and too complex to be considered back-to-basics -- especially when they reinvent the basics on each album. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 18 Title: Inside Out Remixes Released: 2015 Tracks: 4 Duration: 18:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Inside Out (Fabrizio Moretti Remix) (03:48) 2 Inside Out (Operators Outside In Remix) (05:02) 3 Inside Out (Tycho Remix) (05:20) 4 Inside Out (Brian Reitzell Remix) (04:43) |
 | Album: 17 of 18 Title: Hot Thoughts Released: 2017-03-17 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hot Thoughts (03:48) 2 WhisperI’lllistentohearit (04:20) 3 Do I Have to Talk You Into It (04:20) 4 First Caress (02:48) 5 Pink Up (05:57) 6 Can I Sit Next to You (03:54) 7 I Ain’t the One (03:48) 8 Tear It Down (04:20) 9 Shotgun (03:38) 10 Us (04:59) |
| Hot Thoughts : Allmusic album Review : So much is made of how consistent Spoon are that its easy to overlook just how much they change things up on nearly every album. On Hot Thoughts, the differences arent subtle: Spoon alternated between drifting songs and driving ones on They Want My Soul, but this time, they bring together their twin fascinations with structure and atmosphere with a rawness and sophistication evoked by the album covers watercolor skull. Helping them add color to the bones of these songs is David Fridmann, who feels more in tune with the band (and vice versa) than he did on They Want My Soul; by Spoons standards, songs such as "Pink Up" and the ghostly saxophone reverie "Us" are downright lush. And while rhythm has always been vital to their highly edited take on rock, Jim Enos drumming is the star of Hot Thoughts. This is especially true of the albums first few songs, which glide in on shimmying grooves that almost sound like theyre beat-matched. The title track swirls as much as it swaggers, thanks to strings that provide the refined yin to the yang of its relentless beat; the crackling "WhisperIlllistentohearit" delivers maximum impact with minimum fuss; and "Do I Have to Talk You into It" turns what couldve been a more typical Spoon rocker into something more playful -- and more convincing -- with the spacy synths and kinetic percussion that define the album. The band hinted at this direction with They Want My Souls "Outlier," and the way they build on it with these seductive, stark yet flowing songs feels both logical and exciting. Even when they return to more familiar territory, they still keep things fresh. "First Caress" and "Shotgun" hit just as hard as Spoons more straightforward rock songs, and though "Can I Sit Next to You"s slinking riff bears more than a little resemblance to "I Turn My Camera On," the starlit synths and rubbery strings that surround it could be from some lost disco reverie. Similarly, the massive coda that punctuates "Tear It Down"s bouncy pop feels new, while the expressive percussion on "I Aint the One" -- which ranges from nothing to four-on-the-floor intensity -- only makes its loneliness and independence that much more genuine. One of their strongest albums in a while, Hot Thoughts is more proof that Spoon only get better at introducing new ideas into their music, while sounding unmistakably like themselves, as the years pass. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 18 Title: Get Nice! Released: 2017-10-20 Tracks: 12 Duration: 23:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 I Got Mine (02:34) 2 Be Still My Servant (01:24) 3 Leave Your Effects Where They’re Easily Seen (00:56) 4 I Summon You (Cool) (01:28) 5 Mean Mad Margaret (01:37) 6 Love Makes You Feel (02:38) 7 You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb (03:13) 8 Tasty Fish (01:18) 9 Dracula’s Cigarette (01:24) 10 1975 (01:39) 11 I Can Feel It Fade Like an AM Single (03:12) 12 Curfew Tolls (01:33) |