Review: Spoon - Transference

Spoon were indie before indie was indie.This foursome from Austin, Texas has been making tunes since 1994 which makes them 112 years old in dog years. Logic would tell you in the era of You Tube stars like Lady Gaga and ever decreasing shelf lives for rock stars that the band would have been euthanized years ago.

But vocalist Britt Daniel and company have found a way to stay on top of the music world they inhabit - no matter what the rest of the scene looks like. Write catchy tunes, play it safe by keeping the lyrics transparent to appeal the masses and keep the music balanced with tight production and no nonsense arrangements.

Transference is the band's first album in 3 years and much like the bored and anxious kid on the cover, the band is looking around the room thinking, "Well, now what do we do after more than 10 years of solid songs? What more do we have to prove?" Not much actually - but that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing.

This album is Spoon's most low key effort. Nothing really jumps out and grabs your attention at the first listen. These songs are meant to grow on you over a period of multiple rotations. Sorry to all you impatient kids. Daniel wants to weed out fickle fans and clingers on leaving only those who truly understand what he's trying to do - be a Texas version of Fountains Of Wayne.

The meat and potatoes of Transference isn't served until the middle of the album. "Written in Reverse" and "I Saw the Light" are the more upbeat tracks that find the band singing about distressing themes with a smile on their face. "Someone call a hearse" Daniel sings. This is a common thread that connects Spoon's entire catalog. Sure there might be glitter and gold on the surface, but underneath lurks an uneasy and paranoid tone that always makes their tunes seem off kilter.

"Written in Reverse" features a stop and go guitar rhythm centered around minor chords that don't bode well for anyone. "I Saw the Light" finds the band exorcising their insecurities through and an extended jam where a rustic piano comforts their aching emotions. Imagine a lullaby for whiskey drinkers.

But that's not to say that this record is full of doom and gloom hidden behind clever pop hooks. "Trouble Comes Running" is the most rosy song on the album. At a compressed running time of 3:05 Spoon hit the ground running with chaotic drums and blistering melody.

"Goodnight Laura" the song that follows is a nice answer to the question. Daniel croons behind a lonely piano to a woman who must be as restless and subtlely paranoid as himself. Perhaps he didn't want to come off as too pretentious so he simply wrote a song about himself but changed his name.

For all that Spoon does right, there are some passable songs - specifically the firs third of the album. It just seems like this band has become a tad tired with their existence which makes Transference a struggle to instantly like - let alone love. Daniel weighs the whole thing down with his phoned in vocals and unenthusiastic approach.

"Before Destruction" is too airy to be rooted to anything tangible. "Is Love Forever" is too short to really get a grasp on what the band is on to. "The Mystery Zone" is too long and "Who Makes Your Money" is simply too dull. These four flawed songs that open the album are some of the most forgettable the band have ever made.

However it's hard to hold this against the band. Their intentions are well but after being around for 16 years, the whole process of being in a band seems to be wearing on their creativity. There is good music aplenty offered just in uneven servings. With most of the members creeping up on 40, Transference is Spoon's first album where the longevity of their career can be questioned. I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Grade: B-