There is a common theme among almost every track by Spoon: head-nodding drum beats, the dense, unrelenting guitar riffs and the smooth, restless vocals of lead-singer Britt Daniel.
It is as if they have a formula for what makes their songs work, refining it as the years go on, trying to keep up with the ever-changing landscape that is modern rock music. It is a formula that has been tried and tested; one that keeps their fans coming back in droves and asking for seconds.
Formed in late 1993 in Austin, Texas by Daniel and drummer Jim Eno, the band had a bit of a rocky start with critics. Their first album “Telephono” was panned as sounding too similar to its contemporaries, bands like The Pixies that Daniel was pulling heavily from. It would be a little while until Spoon would start to form their own distinct sound.
“Gimme Fiction,” released in 2005, was a massive commercial success and the incredibly catchy single, “I Turn My Camera On,” was everywhere and was featured in shows such as “Bones” and “The Simpsons.” A video of a cute, yellow robot called a Keepon dancing to their music had gone viral. They had established a fun, in-your-face style that was clean and easily digestible and everybody was eating it right up.
“Hot Thoughts,” the band’s ninth full-length studio album, is another addition to Spoon’s dense catalog of pop-infused, indie rock. Produced by Dave Fridmann, occasional faculty member of SUNY Fredonia that has worked with the likes of The Flaming Lips and MGMT, “Hot Thoughts” carries a uniquely aggressive and ostentatious style reminiscent of early punk music.
Almost every track dives right in from the start with fuzzy, abrasive synths backed by even louder percussion thanks to Eno. Every song is designed like a well-coordinated punch in the gut and the listener is still left reeling by the time the next song kicks into gear.
The opener and album’s namesake “Hot Thoughts” is a great start, with a steady beat and plenty of diverse guitar riffs colored with different effects. Daniel’s voice is prominent, right in the front of the mix, and the hook is hard to forget.
“Your teeth shining so white, light up this side street in Shibuya tonight,” he sings, referencing his time spent touring around Tokyo. Daniel drops many references to Japan throughout “Hot Thoughts.” It is obvious his experience there had a major effect on his music.
“Do I Have to Talk You Into It” is one of the strongest tracks of the record, with a drum beat that sounds eerily similar to the beat from Led Zeppelin’s “When The Levee Breaks.” The song is bright and colorful, flying off the wall with airy piano chords and synths. The amount of energy Fridmann is able to help Daniel pump into each song is incredible and is a testament to their strengths as musicians.
The song “Can I Sit Next to You” is really well-produced and is about how Daniel feelswhen he cannot connect with people due to his fame. The steady groove that dominates so much of their past work is Spoon’s signature sound. Drifting, dissonant strings are used in-between verses, with the guitar plucking away in the background.
In the three years since Spoon released their last project “They Want My Soul,” they have not lost any of what keeps them fresh and interesting. If anything, they have just brought more to the table.
