Why you'll love it: Spoon's grooviest album in years
Why you'll hate it: A few duds. Still feels held back.
Historically, Spoon has been one of the most conflicting bands in indie rock for me. On one hand, they are "deal with the devil" catchy! At least one song on every album they release is your guaranteed summer jam of that year. They make music so marketable and applicable, you wonder why they aren't bigger. On the other hand, I've always felt Spoon, especially for the indie rock acclaim they get, underachieves. They figured out a simple formula way back in 2001 and hardly have stepped outside of it. It's like if Sidney Crosby decided he never wanted to lose, and just played hockey for a local minor league instead.
It was really easy to get into a tirade about Spoon in 2010, with the critically panned Transference. Finally a reason to get on my high horse and yell "Spoon has to change! Wake up, sheeple!" Now they had to go and make it hard again. They Want My Soul is just too damn enjoyable and catchy to hate. It's the catchiest album of 2014. Britt Daniel's suave / douchey (your opinion) delivery continues to carry their grooviest songs like "Rainy Taxi" and "Outlier". My favorite song is probably the rousing "They Want My Soul". If nothing else, for personally connecting with my crippling social fear of public solicitors and salesmen.
There is a tinge of darkness and weirdness in songs like "Inside Out" and "Knock Knock Knock". Enough to make me ruminate, once again, over how much Spoon COULD be. Obviously, you don't make it 15 years in underground pop music without being talented and/or imaginative. Why aren't they more creative with their perfect-pop formula? Think about it for too long and it will kill your buzz. There are two or three songs that go nowhere, but They Want My Soul is essentially Spoon at their "10% of brain" best.
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