Austin’s finest purveyors of indie music, Spoon, come back after four years in between drinks with They Want My Soul – the follow up to 2010’s Transference. It sure has been a long time coming, and nervous anticipation has been steadily building among their fanbase. In short, the album had a hell of a lot of expectation to live up to. It doesn’t matter. Spoon hit it out of the park with this album.
Rent I Pay opens the album in fantastic fashion, with a drumbeat and guitar riffs so catchy it’s as if they were made for each other. Listen to the song twice and try not to sing along, it’s that good. Inside Out couldn’t be more different. It’s much slower and introspective, yet thoroughly enjoyable. Like so many Spoon albums, they aren’t full of songs like the opener. Their albums consist of contrasting songs from a mood perspective; it’s not all fast paced rock songs, there’s more mellow and poignant numbers to be had on this record too.
Rainy Taxi brings the tempo back while Do You is ‘60s and infectious. I Just Don’t Understand isn’t stark musically, yet feels like it showcases frontman Britt Daniel’s voice more than any other track. Let Me Be Mine shows the immense quality on this album is right the way through the ten tracks.
Spoon have demonstrated again just how good indie music can be, is and indeed should be. And why shouldn’t they? Four years on, they’re still in ripping form.
BY ALEXANDER CROWDEN
Best Track: Rent I Pay
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In A Word: Stellar
