Spoon Album: “Transference”

Spoon's latest album, Transference, is another strong release from the indie rock band from Texas. Like their other albums such as Gimme Fiction and Girls Can Tell, the emphasis is on good songs and mood before over the top musicianship. There is also a lot of echo throughout, providing the feel of a release out of the late `70s. The opener "Before Destruction" is both sparse and full of sonics before kicking into three of the album's best tunes. "Is Love Forever?", "The Mystery Zone", and "Who Makes Your Money" are very strong tracks that are memorable from the get go while retaining a sense of melancholy. "Goodnight Laura" is a pretty piano ballad while "Got Nuffin" and "Trouble Comes Running" are raw and border on hard rock. "I Saw the Light" and the aforementioned "Who Makes Your Money" are both very moody and the vibe on each is hypnotic at times. The remaining tracks like "Out Go the Lights" and "Nobody Gets Me But You" are decent as well. All told, another winner from Spoon and well worth picking up or downloading.

Chances are on first 3 or 4 listens you will wonder what they are up to here. But give it some time. They are clearing a new path. In doing so, sometimes the path is not to your liking. Well.....go listen to something else for awhile. But when you return, you will see what I mean.

How is this band not HUGE!? Almost every Spoon album is amazing and this ranks right at the top with K.T.M, G.C.T, and G.M.F. In particular songs like - The Mystery Zone, Got Nuffin, I Saw the Light, Is Lover Forever. You can't go wrong with this album.

This is a Spoon album. For Spoon fans, that's all you really need to know. The sound and songs fit into their catalog.

Every Spoon record has it's own unique sound, but most records have subtly updated the sound from the previous record. This record did not, and I think that's why it's being looked at as a "departure" or "experimental". Neither of these are true. It just so happens that the last record was a pop music cherry bomb and this record is stripped down asymmetrical pop, and yes it does pop.

I recommend you listen to this record 3 times before you decide if you like it, I have a feeling that second time it will hit your ears much differently than the first.

Also, Spoon has produced all of their albums except "telephono" and "softsounds ep", Jim Eno and Brit Daniels have Co-Producer credit on every other Spoon record, they just always had an outside producer to collaborate with. They have been more involved with the engineering and mix of their records than most groups are.

If you are going into this record listening for the next "cherry bomb", "sister jack", or "way we get by", you already missed the point.

In summation this record is not: stripped down, weird, a radical departure, overly edited or processed, inaccessible, without hooks, or a misfire.

It is another great record by Spoon however.

I think this record is top notch, great if you sit down with a pair of headphones... I love Spoon's records and this didn't disappoint when compared to the others. The sound isn't as polished as Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga's but it has the same loose & relaxed vibe. I personally don't feel it's their greatest, but it's certainly enjoyable. I feel like if you don't give the songs enough time, or you just skip through, you won't enjoy it. It's the kind of album that's meant to be sat down with and listened to from front to back.