Spoon: Transference (Anti-)

By Ben Liew  •  20 Jan 2010 in Review

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Texans indie rockers Spoon have had their time in the light with 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga – arguably one of the best albums of the decade. So with anticipation running high for Transference, Spoon did what any respectable indie band that has hit a fork in the road would do – push the envelope further and taking a step backwards. Sounds like a contradiction? Instead of rehashing old material, Transference drops the catchiness of previous albums to favour a darker, more sinister theme. While Kill the Moonlight was minimalist pop influenced by Prince and Ga Ga Ga… took its cues from Jamacian dub, Transference seems to be influenced by much heavier stuff like 80s post-punk, grunge and a bit of depressive psych.

‘Before Destruction’ opens proceedings with a transfixing air of foreboding before ‘Is Love Forever?’ and ‘The Mystery Zone’ kick in with hooks that grip your cortex with the tenacity of an aural tapeworm. The off-key piano ballad ‘Goodnight Laura’ and the trippy, oddly funky psych-out ‘Who Makes Your Money’ are examples of the band’s departure from their usual meanderings. While first single ‘Written In Reverse’ and ‘Got Nuffin’ are fairly catchy numbers, Transference will not likely gain or lose any fans for Spoon.

Listen to: ‘Written In Reverse’
If you like this you’ll dig: The Pixies, The National, White Rabbits

More Spoon at www.myspace.com/spoon.

Checkout Spoon on the Tonight Show here.