SPOON – They Want My Soul
01. Rent I Pay
02. Inside Out
03. Rainy Taxi
04. Do You
05. Knock Knock Knock
06. Outlier
07. They Want My Soul
08. I Just Don’t Understand
09. Let Me Be Mine
10. New York Kiss
It’s been a while. Just in time for their 20th anniversary acclaimed American indie-rock heroes SPOON return with their already eighth studio album. Although being a critically acclaimed band with regular appearances in the upper regions of the Billboard Top 20 (their last album Transference made it to place 4 back in 2010) it still feels a bit like Brit Daniel and his boys remain a hidden indie music treasure; at least outside their home country.
But maybe They Want My Soul is finally about to change that. Still, the single ingredients remain the same. SPOON return to form with their energetic and melody-loving indie-rock with a little blues rock undertone. Rent I Pay sends us directly into the right setting. A blues-rocking stamper with a dirty Britt Daniel behind the microphone. The opener is directly followed by one of the record’s highlights. The slow grooving Inside Out presents itself drenched in soft synthesizer seas. A tender but strong vocal performance by Daniel unfolds itself over the smooth groove. It’s one of these songs you don’t want to end. The band keeps on riding this groove with the gentle Do You. It’s one of their most easy going tunes so far as it almost unfolds a dreamy feel-good sunshine vibe.
SPOON in general seem to take things a bit lighter on They Want My Soul. Knock Knock Knock got a sunny groove as well while Outlier follows the dreamier synthesizer-influenced paths as well. The bluesy voice of Britt Daniel makes a return in I Just Don’t Understand, before the uplifting power pop of the closing track New York Kiss leaves the listener with a big fat grin.
Yes, SPOON managed to strip down their indie rock monsters and reduce their sound to the essence of great vibes, good melodies, an irresistible groove and the distinctive voice of their lead singer. They Want My Soul is closer to 2007s acclaimed Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga than Transference was. And that clearly is a good thing. You get what you expect, the familiar SPOON formula. And sometimes it’s just a matter of habit.
SPOON’s ‘They Want My Soul’ delivers an easy going comeback for the indie rock heroes who still stick to their well-known formula.
NBHAP Rating: 3,5/5
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