one of this space's favorite groups of late is austin, texas' very own 'spoon'. britt daniels and band have the best catalogue of smart, concise, stripped-down music as anyone else out there in this big ol' (yet evah shrinking) rock-n-roll world right now. their latest release, the baby-gibberishly titled 'ga ga ga ga ga', was our pick as best album of '07 (if we would've had a list that is)... and very much far ahead of all the rest. spoon are a band making music that continues to defy labels and flirt with the boundaries of your average four piece pop ensemble..
(this w'rooms #1 song for awhile has been 'the beast and dragon, adored' from 'gimme fiction', it reminds us of plastic ono lennon around '70, what with it's plaintive cry for rock-n-roll, lost and gone forever, and the silly, fruitless pursuit thereof... ahhh, the infected voice, the staccato guitar, the rumblin' pianny, the shaky drunkin' rhythm... while all the time explaining why it keeps getting done...'...I got a feelin, it didn't come free.
I got a feelin, and then it got to me.
When you don't feel it, it shows, and they tear out your soul...
And when you believe, they call it rock and roll,
And when you believe, they call it rock and roll.')
ga(x5) is sparse, hook-laden econo-pop; very tight, very addicting and sensibly un-ordinary. each song is a varied piece of funky genius, containing undeniable danceable trippy dittys and finger snappin' fun, all in an easy to handle 40 minute package. (the version we have has an extra cd of spoon in a more experimental vein, which is ok by me, the more the better...)
from the fractured synchno-pop opening anthem of 'don't make me a target', the neo-soul treatment on 'you got yr cherry bomb', the goofy, skippy feeling 'don't ya evah', the poppy hook-heavy 'the underdog' ... this record is a maturing continuation of the catchy unorthodox style that each of the proceeding albums had hinted at. it all comes together here. 'ga (x5)' is a gorgeously understated masterpiece.
trust me, you need this cd...
and just to show ya'll that it's not all studio wizardry, here is a show by brett and the boys from the bay area last fall. the sound is very board worthy, the band is tight and vibrant, and mr. daniels voice is in it's best cracked-falsetto, whiskey-soaked whimsical mode. it seemed like a great show and enjoyed by all in attendance... those lucky bastards...
... presented for your approval and available in mp3 for a week or so, by way of yousendit:
