Iceage: "Did you mean Ice Age?" no, fuck you google, I meant Iceage

Before the release of their third album, Iceage was a band with an uncontainable sound.  Their songs screeched into your ears with roaring guitars, crushing drums and shouted vocals— a massive sound that was dumped into your ears in short, two-minute tracks.  But between their second and third album, Iceage has changed.  A lot.

The malice is still there, but “Plowing Into The Field Of Love” is infinitely more sophisticated and nuanced than past Iceage material.  The emotional contrast, dynamics, tempo changes, and riffs on this record are all used incredibly, and in a way that previous records showed no indication of. The production and arrangements of these songs are incredible.  Piano, horns and violin (violin!) pop up everywhere on these songs, and they feel completely at home.  The key is that the extra instrumentation isn’t used in any cheap pop production type of way just to “flesh out the sound” or anything like that.  The new instruments are key to the songs they inhabit, being used in very unique ways that perfectly fit the sound that Iceage was going for.  Just listen to the scratchy, dissonant violins on “Against The Moon”, the song that goes furthest from their punk roots with contemplative, spacious piano riffs, lush strings and horns, and no guitars to be heard of.

This record is just a great listen.  It just gives you a feeling of an entire world of sound opening up before you.  What will they do next?  You anticipate each song, each chorus with the enthusiasm, because you don’t know what’s going to happen next, and it’ll probably be awesome.

Yet, despite all of all this nuance and attention to detail, it’s important to say that Iceage has not, will not, slow down.  This album isn’t nice.  It rages, it growls, it’s angry as hell.   The lyrics follow the raucous ups and destructive downs of a life of vice.  “The Lord’s Favorite” stumbles through a night of shameless, drunken debauchery at a strip club.  “Abundant Living” begins with the lyrics, “I will outnumber/I will outdrink/And crash through borders/Abundant living”.  Yet, after the alcohol flows, we are taken to a different place entirely, one of darkness, hopelessness and despair.  “Cimmerian Shade” finds the narrator at the depths of his depression, just wanting to be done with it all: “Let everything be washed in white/Into long rolling waves of light.”  Maybe my favorite song, “Against the Moon”, is inspired by a Flemish painting of similar title (or so Rock Genius says), and is about how the narrator finds his life directionless and unfulfilling, but he will continue on regardless.  “Whatever I do/I do not repent/I keep pissing against the moon.”

The lyrics complete this macabre, irate, and wonderful album, which has much more to say than it seems on the first listen. 

8.5/10

Favorite songs: The Lord’s Favorite, Abundant Living, Forever, Against the Moon

"What's cooler than being cool?" A Journalistic review of Iceage's "Plowing Into the Field of Love"

Iceage was a new listening experience to me. The frustrated and harsh sound in their new album Plowing Into the Field of Love was something that was abrasive at first, but with each consecutive listen I found myself liking the album more and more. The tracks go from metallic, complicated, depressing, to soft and sensitive; the album, most of all, is dynamic which provides a really attentive and unpredictable listening experience.

I’m not by any means an expert of this music style. Because of this, this album is more of an emotional listen rather than an objective one for me. Obviously it’s not something you can really sit down and relax to, but it’s rather something that you can sit down and feel and become involved with. Iceage reminds me of bands like Joy Division, or The Clash. Although I’ve liked those bands for a long time, I’ve never really explored their genres that much. Iceage’s Plowing Into the Field of Love has inspired me to step outside of my comfort zone and listen to this genre of music more.

The album itself is great. It alternates between tracks like, “On My Fingers,” which are in your face in the sweetest but most soured way, to tracks like “Against the Moon.” The album--now that I think about it-- is diverse and tasteful, and I can’t find a track that I didn’t like something about.

While I was first listening to Plowing Into the Field of Love someone overheard and commented how bad and unorganized it sounded. I feel like that’s something that a lot of people will have to overcome on a first listen. It’s not an album that you enjoy for it’s structure, it’s an album you enjoy for its exquisite chaos. It’s an album that makes you think.

Favorite Tracks: How Many, Forever, Against the Moon, Simony
Least Favorite Tracks: /
Plowing Into the field of Love: 
8.5/10

Sad Moth Reviews: They Want My Soul -- Spoon

Reviews By:

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Nimbi                7.5/10

Go To Review >>>>

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Emanuel            8/10

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Noah                 7/10

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Patrick              7.5/10

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Aggregate Score: 7.5/10

Sad Moth Reviews: Because The Internet -- Childish Gambino

Reviews By:

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Patrick                  4.5/10
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Emanuel               6.5/10
Go To Review >>>>

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Nimbi                    6.5/10
Go To Review >>>>

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Noah                     4/10
Go To Review >>>>

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Aggregate Score: 5.375/10

Spoon - They Want My Soul

A not-in-the-slightest-expert analysis by Nimbi.

Educated folk singers want my soul

Jonathon Fisk still wants my soul

I got nothing I want to say

They got nothing left that I want

All they want's my soul

Yes, yes, I know it

They want my soul

Holy macaroni, as bad as it may sound, Britt Daniel can add me to that list: Nimbi Freaking Nimbison wants a piece of that’ 43-year-old soul, because damn.

Austin-based band, Spoon, is no stranger to the music world. And even if the former “Artist of the Decade” has somehow slipped past your radar, there’s no way they can now, because they’ve added yet another album onto a career that’s lasted nearly two decades, their eighth, entitled They Want My Soul. Oh yeah, and it’s real good.

“Steady” is one of the words that come to mind for me. Spoon has delivered solid albums time and time again, and with their latest, they’ve shared with us something fresh, but not altogether shocking. Spoon clings to guitar-driven sounds, a novelty that has been lost in today’s alternative music scene. “Alternative-indie-pop-rock-punk,” is the closest label I can give it, but Spoon has never really been a band to give a rats hoo-hah about labels. Regardless of what people call it, the overall vibes of the album are engaging, with catchy hooks and noteworthy lyrical work to top it off.

They had me right away, with the driven snares on the first track, Rent I Pay, but I really became a fan of the LP with their second track: Inside Out makes me want to strip off all my clothes, turn them inside out, and jive to Inside Out until my mom tells me to go to bed (yes, I live with my mom, and yes, she still tells me to go to bed, but with this song stuck in my head, even I can find a little joy in my day). It’s that good—dreamy, hypnotic, addicting, a song that, in my opinion, might even be better than the assertive, poppy single off the record, called Do You.

Right when I think there couldn’t be anything else Spoon could toss at me (not in this LP at least) the Texans go ahead and fling some catchy synth pop my way, which I took straight to the face, and right to the gut. The last track New York Kiss made me want to drop everything, jump in a car, drive to New York City, and kiss my lady in the streets—while listening to this song of course.

The album was consistently entertaining, with a sense of continuity throughout, somehow avoiding the type of monotony that often comes with albums of similar genre.  But while I have high praise for Spoon’s new album, They Want My Soul, I must say that it’s hard to be completely blown away by a band that’s been so good for so long. Nonetheless, it’s a tremendous statement from the band, one that echoes, nostalgically, some of the band’s age-old hymns, but at the same time rings of new vitality, reminding us of what Spoon’s made of.

Favorite Track(s): Inside Out & New York Kiss
Least Favorite Track: Let Me Be Mine

7.5/10

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

Spoon-They Want My Soul

            I apologize, because I think this will be a short review.  It’s not because I didn’t put my time into the album or anything, but what can I say?  Spoon made a damn good album.  Britt Daniel can write damn good songs.  At this point, knowing Spoon’s consistency over the years, I’m not sure what’s more to say.  Spoon hasn’t innovated much over the years, but they’re good at what they’re good at, and they keep delivering solid albums.

            The production is fantastically clean, and the addition of keyboards adds great elements to many songs.  Each of the songs serves a different device to flesh out the album thematically.  My one criticism would be that Spoon seems a little too devoted to their pop song formula.  All the songs are intricately arranged, but all seem to be too tightly constructed for any solos to sneak in.  It’s not much of a complaint, but I would have liked a guitar solo or two on some of these songs to allow the tracks to breathe.

            Spoon has mastered their own sound, and they continue to prove it on this record.  A couple of these tracks will eventually become Spoon classics (my vote’s for Rent I Pay and Do You), which will refresh the set list at Spoon’s live shows and keep them touring for three or four years.  Good album.

7/10