Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007)

Artist/Album: Spoon—Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Totally Subjective Number Rating: 9/10
Style(s): Post-punk, indie pop/rock.
Released By: Merge
Favorite Tracks: “Don’t Make Me a Target,” “Rhthm & Soul,” “The Underdog,” “Black Like Me”

When I think of Spoon, I think of a very tight sounding band, with rigid rhythms and a penchant for occasional experimentation. Everything is just so tight, so controlled; their songs tend to be really skeletal, with simple, common drum beats, repetitive guitar melodies, and a post-punk reliance on bass. They tend to dress these elements with pianos, brass, and other bells and whistles, none of which distract from the simplicity of the melodies. Note the citar (I think) solo on “My Little Japanese Cigarette Case,” as just one of the many creative flourishes they include on this album. Spoon is so good at dressing their angular post punk melodies in a rather unique way. Britt Daniels also has a fairly distinctive voice, if not an especially strong one. They achieve a lot of cool guitar tones, really giving each song a different feel. A lot of these vocal hooks are really catchy too. I have to highly recommend this band to anyone with any interest in independent music. Few bands combine creativity and catchiness like Spoon, and post-punk is rarely made this catchy while staying true to its foundations. They aren’t one of my favorites, I find I have to be in a specific mood for Spoon, but few bands combine creativity and catchiness like Spoon. This is probably their most upbeat, most accessible album. It’s pretty consistent, though there are a couple tracks I like less than the rest, there’s nothing here that doesn’t fit.