Spoon

I'm just going to flat out say it:

I didn't expect to like this album.

Spoon is a killer band. I was obsessed with them the moment their sound penetrated my virgin Spoon earz 10 years ago. Britt Daniels' voice is unmistakeable and their simplicity is unmistakeable. All the songs are SO dependent on that rhythm. I'm not sure if there is another band out there better at beefing up a simple drum beat with the use of the staple rock band instruments and making 3 to 4 minutes of enjoyable music.

But what I love about Spoon, for some reason or another, does not get me excited for their new shit. I'm continually asking myself: How far can they take this formula? Can they mix it up enough to make my ears interested again?

After I was let down by their last album, Transference, I thought I was going to have to give Spoon the Old Yeller treatment. Sure, Transference was perfect outside of emotion.....but perfect in the technical sense just doesn't get me anymore. I need those butterfly kisses, bro.

So, I was just about ready to write off Spoon until I heard the first single off of They Want My Soul: 'Do You.' The 'doo doo doo doo' harmonies perked up all the perkable parts of my body and for the first part in my Spoon fandom I was not praising that rhythm. I was praising a melodic harmony?

Spoon has just made a lot of subtle additions musically to this album that were never there before, but nothing overwhelming. Whether it is a more melodic chorus or a fucking harp solo, it's giving me those butterfly kisses on my neck again. I will undoubtedly listen to and enjoy this album a lot in the upcoming weeks.

Strangely, after I listened to this album I started seeing a lot of review headlines in my social media feeds elluding to Spoon's new sound or a change in direction or a fucking overhaul. And before I go, I feel the need to say I have NO fucking CLUE what these people are talking about. Sure their are subtle additions (for the better IMO), but THIS IS A fucking SPOON ALBUM. There is no doubt about it. Don't dive into They Want My Soul expecting a complete overhaul because you are not getting it. It's kinda like being on the receiving end of a couple new tricks in the sack after your girl studies the latest issue of Cosmopolitan.

No wait....it's exactly like that.