Vinyl Album Review - They Want My Soul - Spoon

  Spoon’s album They Want My Soul, which debuted last August, is good. That’s really the long and short of it; it’s good. It’s wonderfully crafted indie/alt-rock that checks all the boxes and clocks in as another great album in a great line of musical releases. It is rock immortalized by purity of sound and style. It’s difficult to quantify what Spoon has done right with this album. From open to close, you’ll be immersed in a musical experience that delights and begs for repeat listens. More than a handful of tracks on this album are catchy, and when you finish listening you’ll be putting it on again and again. You might even have to invite friends over for listens just as an excuse to play it some more. Often its the case that less is more, and more often than not its the case that simple can be great. In this case, simple is amazing. They Want My Soul doesn’t stray far from the conventions in which the genre has made itself. Instead it elevates it all a notch, validating and reaffirming the reasons why indie rock has become such a valued commodity. The recent trend of ‘rock’ stations has been away from the style of heavy rock (distorted guitars and raspy vocals) in favor of bands that exemplify hipster culture. Bands with funky names and funkier tracks seem to be flooding the airwaves, edging out the rock tracks of yesteryear. They Want My Soul both reinforces that movement and rages against it. They Want My Soul is rock in a classic sense, but indie enough to vibe well with the modern palate. It may be easier to list the tracks on this album that aren’t noteworthy than those that are, but for the sake of this review there are a few tracks worth highlight in the forty-minute, ten-track listing. Do You - Single from They Want My Soul   First and foremost is the second track Inside Out, a groovy tune that sets up an album in an atypical fashion. Usually we find the middle of the album, the second act, to be a bit of a mellowing out, a pace change of sorts. Inside Out brings up that pace change almost immediately. It doesn’t blend well with either of the songs adjacent to it, instead it stands out as an ambience filled bass driven track that settles the listener in, rather than lifting them out of their seat. It’s the longest track of the set, coming in at about five minutes, but it doesn’t feel its length, and on completion you may be wanting for more of its vibe, but luckily it is followed up by more greatness. Each and every track could be worth a second highlight, but again for the sake of this review New York Kiss, the albums concluding track will get a moment. New York Kiss is one of the catchier tunes which will play in the back of your head for days to come. New York Kiss is perfectly placed as They Want My Soul’s final track because it makes you beg for more, and forces a repeat listen almost immediately. It’s an ending that bleeds perfectly into the introduction. Seamless repeats are a must in this case. They Want My Soul is good. That is the long and short of it. -Dave N