In a world saturated with all kinds of music, it’s really exciting to discover creative artists that offer something really unique to bless our ears. I recently discovered Spoon, an American rock band with a different take on virtually everything that makes up a rock band. But somehow, the band’s music has a quintessential alternative rock feel to it.
As you can most likely glean from their name, the band is not afraid to embrace weirdness. With song titles that look something the Shins have cooked up, and album structures that throw caution to the wind, Spoon is as unpredictable as you may have guessed. Inside Out, released on the band’s 2014 album, They Want My Soul, is a throwback to British pop with a gentle groove. The most recently released track, Hot Thoughts, has a hazy electronic feel, like MGMT with a dash of 80’s nostalgia. It relies less on prominent electric guitar distortion, and more on a dreamy combination of sounds, accentuated by the heavy bass and guitar that the band is known for. Repetitive tinkling treble sounds add the finishing touch to the track, resulting in a full, detailed sound.
The band’s earlier releases, such as 2001’s Girls Can Tell, seem to be somewhat tamer than recent ones. Something of the same steady rock and roll beat and retro feel has been there from the start, but the band’s earlier releases were missing something of the edge that makes the newer stuff so great. Perhaps this is down to the development of the lead vocal. Girls Can Tell offers us more of a timid, crooning vocal, where They Want My Soul has a strong, grungy lead vocal that just feels straight up cool. It seems that the bands influences have shifted from Stereophonics and Pearl Jam to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers with a dash of Nirvana.
Don’t get me wrong, Girls Can Tell is a great album, but it’s so rewarding to follow the progression of a band as they further develop and carve out their niche. The development of the vocal has resulted in a more aggressive, punchy sound that draws in its listeners on the very first note. The band manages to strike an unusual balance between modern alternative rock and paying homage to rock and roll history.
Dig a little deeper and you may discover The Agony of Laffite, a stripped down, ambiguous track that’s more reminiscent of Scouting For Girls or very early releases from the Shins, than anything else. It isn’t quite download worthy, but it’s really great to see the progression the band has had from humble beginnings to alt rock and roll royalty.
It would be amiss to discuss Spoon’s history without spending a little time on the 2005 release, Gimme Fiction, which is perhaps the band’s biggest work since. It’s here that the band started experimenting with heavy distortion and a more prominent vocal. The album cover itself offers us a glimpse into the changing world of the members of Spoon, a human figure, veiled in a red cloak. Once again, the band chooses wonderful titles for their songs, The Beast and Dragon, Adored, for example, is a strange blend of steady beats and instrumentation, featuring piano sounds and layered vocals. The result is a really immersive song, with interesting twists and turns colouring its steady structure.
It’s quite refreshing that the band features two different vocalists, selecting them according to the songs that suit them best. Gimme Fiction definitely sees the band’s instrumental life growing, leaning strongly on warm, staccato strings, intricate piano melodies and deep bass drums. The bass line that characterised the first album is not lost on Gimme Fiction. Classical and contemporary instrumentation meet to create a full, different sound that’s interesting at every turn. I Turn My Camera On is a really groovy track, featuring a brand new falsetto vocal layered with sweet, subtle vocal harmonies, perhaps something like the Scissor Sisters or Mika, but better. This band is full of surprises! Perhaps this is the quality that sets Spoon apart, whilst placing it firmly in the category of alternative rock. This is a band that’s not afraid to break the rules, and it’s hard not to love them for it.
It’s unsurprising that a number of Spoon’s tracks have been used in Indie films, perhaps the most notable of these being The Infinite Pet’s appearance on the Indie classic, 500 Days of Summer, which if you didn’t already know, is a great soundtrack. This song kind of makes me think of the Black Keys, with its deep Southern groove and ringing guitar melodies. What is it about a male falsetto that’s just so cool-sounding? I don’t know, but it is.
As you may have figured, Spoon is an incredibly prolific band, having released enough music to rival all manner of your favourites. Telophono/Soft Effects was the band’s 2006 creation, and it’s the one that seems to be the most heavily influenced by rock classics like Nirvana and perhaps even the more juvenile Blink182.
You can probably tell, if you’ve read this far, that Spoon is a band that is not afraid to push boundaries, switching between genres, vocalists and instrumental combinations. It’s exciting to encounter a band that is so unconcerned with consistency and so committed to trying new things. While Gimme Fiction is my favourite album in Spoon’s discography, there is something interesting to be discovered in each one of the band’s releases. Needless to say, it’s exciting to imagine what may come next.
