Spoonin': A Journalistic Review of Spoon's "They Want My Soul"

Spoon-They Want My Soul

Fourteen year old--that’s forty in band years mind you-- American indie-rock group Spoon, shows a solid, aged--like a fine wine,  and unique sound, with their eighth studio album, They Want My Soul. With upbeat chord progression, snappy drum kits, head bobbing rhythms, and a distinct vocal styling that sounds like the love child of Julian Casablancas and Jeff Tweedy, Spoon has yet again shown their album making prowess.

The album starts off strong with the track, “Rent I Pay” a song that is sure to permeate car commercial and indie movie montage alike. In all seriousness this track creates a strong and kicking intro to the song that snaps the listener into place and prepares them for the seamless and beautiful transition to the next track of the album, “Inside Out.” This transition is really exemplary of Spoons remarkable ability to flow from one song to the next, this is one of They Want My Soul’s greatest strengths as an album, it’s extremely listenable. It’s technique that a lot of artists don’t apply to their albums.

The next tracks “Rainy Taxi,” and “Do You,” complement each other in the sense that they both dance with the listener. They lean in and out from echoing/whooshing guitars, lyrics, and vocal effects to dominant distinct guitar patterns, and complementing vocals. Spoon repeatedly hooks the listener in with a whole array of interesting sounds, while steady and easy rhythm guitar orchestrate the whole bout. For example tracks like “Knock Knock Knock” incorporate a distorted wave drum kit, whistling, a horror movie orchestra crescendo, static guitar, the list goes on from here. It provides the listener with a unique indie rock experience.

The next track “Outlier” is fast paced, and tunneled and makes the listener feel like they're traveling fast. Echoing vocals, beeping synths, a multilayered kit, a rapid rhythm guitar, and skipping bass experimental to Spoon add variety and weight to the album.

The rest of the album uses Spoon techniques, old and new, borrowing and incorporating these techniques from song to song, to finish strong. “They Want My Soul,” is a song very distinct to Spoon’s style and is a quintessential Spoon song. “I Just Don’t Understand,” uses a bluesy piano, the reverberating crash of cymbals, acoustic guitar, and grizzled vocals. “Let Me Be Mine” is an indie rock song wrapped in an enlightening echo of ether. Finally the album, like a wave goodbye from the backseat of a car, is wrapped in a tight package with, “New York Kiss.”

Spoon’s They Want My Soul showcases the artist’s maturity and progression throughout the years. It is a work that definitely stands out from the releases of the last couple of months.

Favorite Tracks: Rent I Pay, Inside Out, Do You, Knock Knock Knock, They Want My Soul
Least Favorite Tracks: Outlier, Let Me Be Mine

They Want My Soul:

8/10