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.

Sp0on - Transference (2010)

I grew a bit bored of Spoon’s back catalog, so this new album gives them a fresh slate and I like this. Their style is distinctive, refreshingly simple, and generally pretty catchy. They really revel in this simplicity, and are a better band when they keep it simple, as they do on this album. They play melodies that everyone’s heard a thousand times before, but inject their own flavor into the music. I think it helps that most vocalists don’t sounds quite like Britt Daniel, and his singing style really does define the band. He can sing falsetto without making me want to turn the volume down (“Who Makes Your Money”), but I like when his voice best when it has a wailing sort of quality on the verses of “Written in Reverse” and “Trouble Comes Running.” “The Mystery Zone” is my favorite here, with a catchy beat and nice little flourishes of guitar appearing here and there. I don’t think there is a monumental difference in quality between their best albums and their worst, and the trend continues here.

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