Spoon – They Want My Soul

Spoon confidently deliver a confident record....
Spoon : They Want My Soul
8.4 Lorna Vista
2014 

Spoon : They Want My Soul

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In 2007 Austin’s indie-hit Spoon became a big league hit with Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (QRO review) – and then the band took time off before 2010’s Transference (QRO review). The band took even more time off after that (singer/guitarist Britt Daniel teaming up with Dan Boeckner as Divine Fits – QRO album review – while bassist Rob Pope returned to his Get Up Kids – QRO live review), but you can’t keep a good Spoon down. They Want My Soul eschews the cheer of Ga and the dark of Trans for out-and-out cool.

At this point, Spoon are alt-rock staples (when they’re available), and Soul has that confidence (they were even confident enough to leave their longtime indie label Merge for major imprint Lorna Vista). From the first notes of opener “Rent I Pay”, Spoon know exactly what they’re doing, and do it well. They don’t need to rely on sheer catch like Ga breakthrough single “The Underdog” (QRO video), but instead are relaxed and wry, even wise. They can do stark (following “Inside Out”), emotional (“Do You”), even Zooropa-like (“Outlier”) – plus a blues-sway cover of Ann-Marget’s “I Just Don’t Understand”.

They Want My Soul comes to maybe its coolest point in final piece “New York Kiss”, evening pressure as cool as the Big Apple at night. Spoon confidently deliver a confident record.

Spoon – New York Kiss

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