Thursday, February 11, 2010

Review: Spoon, Transference

 
Spoon
Transference
B+
            Spoon is a band that has always stuck pretty close to its roots. Although their sound had evolved from the garage-rock tones of A Series of Sneaks, by 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, everyone knew what a “Spoon” record would sound like. To some degree, Transference doesn’t interfere or change many of our expectations of what this band does. Their characteristic alt-rock sound that has been present for years is still here, in the form of tracks like “Got Nuffin” and “Written in Reverse.” What Transference is significant for is the change in approach to production that must have occurred. It seems that they chose to pursue “addition by subtraction.” Transference’s sound is minimal. The record testifies to the importance of silence, when making music. The most memorable tracks, like “Mystery Zone,” “Out Go the Lights,” and “Is Love Forever” are those that seem to split up the band’s sound. No vocals, guitar parts, or drum lines seem to exist to fill a void. This results in a very purposeful, deliberate sound, where nothing unnecessary is crammed into the ears of the listener. On Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’s “Don’t You Evah,” Britt Daniel says: “record that, Jim,” in the midst of studio banter. Transference leaves out such noisiness, choosing instead to revel in silence.
Key Tracks: Written in Reverse, Out Go the Lights, Mystery Zone, Got Nuffin’
-- Josh Smith
Host, "Artists in Exile," Sundays 2-4 PM on WGTB
 

1 comment:

WEB SHERIFF said...

WEB SHERIFF
Who You Gonna Call
Tel 44-(0)208-323 8013
Fax 44-(0)208 323 8080
websheriff@websheriff.com
www.websheriff.com

Hi Josh,

On behalf of Merge Records and Spoon, many thanks for plugging "Transference" on your site (Spoon's new chart-topping album) ..... thanks, also, on behalf of the label and artist for not posting any pirate links to newly released (studio) material and, if you / your readers want good quality, non-pirated, preview tracks, then a full length version of "Written in Reverse" is available for fans and bloggers to post / host / share etc at www.mergerecords.com/blog/2010/02/new-spoon-video-for-written-in-reverse/ ... .. for further details of the new album, on-line promotions, videos and 2010 shows, check-out the band's official site at www.spoontheband.com and keep an eye on official sources for details of further Spoon news, preview material and on-line promotions.

Also and as a goodwill gesture to fans and bloggers, an exclusive preview stream of the full album is now available via the label's and the band's sites at www.mergerecords.com/store/jukebox2.php?catalog_id=685 and www.spoontheband.com ... .. this is for hyper-linking ONLY and for streaming by fans directly off the official sites, so please reciprocate this goodwill gesture by NOT ripping or embedding these files.

Thanks again for your plug.

Regards,

WEB SHERIFF