Spoon - Transference

[bigideas]

SPOON reigns! They also got best rated band of 00-10 by metacritic

 

i like to check that site. i didn't know they did some decade lists though.

 

one thing about this record - there really are no rememberable melodies. there's nothing very

melodic at all it seems. i've listened through it 3 or 4 times now and can only remember

rhythms and lyrics phrases........yet i still like it quite a bit.

 

track 7 - i take that was record at a live venue (not necessarily live) but maybe during

soundcheck?

 

i don't know why they didn't overdub bass later as there is no bass presence at all on my speakers.

[Scalzunfield]

I still don't get this record. Flat out just don't get it. Virtually zero memorable hooks as far as I can tell. I can't really recall anything about this album after I'm done with it. There's no "Don't Make Me A Target" or "Don't You Evah" here and, while I wasn't expecting something as catchy as "The Underdog" either, they don't even approach it. The second half of Gimme Fiction which was, to date, the weakest effort Spoon's released IMO, has been trumped by this album.

 

Don't get me wrong: I don't hate this album. I just feel like it's missing what made me love Spoon in the first place. I just don't see this album getting back in rotation 6 months down the line.

[MattZ]

I still don't get this record. Flat out just don't get it. Virtually zero memorable hooks as far as I can tell. I can't really recall anything about this album after I'm done with it. There's no "Don't Make Me A Target" or "Don't You Evah" here and, while I wasn't expecting something as catchy as "The Underdog" either, they don't even approach it. The second half of Gimme Fiction which was, to date, the weakest effort Spoon's released IMO, has been trumped by this album.

 

Don't get me wrong: I don't hate this album. I just feel like it's missing what made me love Spoon in the first place. I just don't see this album getting back in rotation 6 months down the line.

 

Interesting. I've spun the album 5-6 times, and I came here to say something similar. I guess I am not alone. Not sure how to describe what I think of this album. I really love parts of it, but only parts, and not even whole songs. A guitar here, a scream there. It just feels like a lot of false starts. I agree that it sounds like Spoon, whatever that means, but it feels like a Spoon cliche. Lots of vamping, lots of echoey Britt, etc. The song structures are interesting, but only intellectually, not emotionally, if that makes any sense.

 

One positive without reservation: the album sounds great on vinyl.

 

Maybe it will click with me eventually, but I have a feeling this one won't get more than a few cursory spins in the future for a change of pace. Oh well.

[cryptique]

I agree with both of the posts above.

 

While this definitely "sounds like Spoon," it's an empty kind of Spoon. All style, no substance.

 

Which is sad, because I really wanted to like this record, but I basically have to force myself to listen to it. Nearly every time I put it on, my attention drifts and I end up switching to something else.

[Smokestack Joe]

i agree with those last posts as well but to me, it is just fun to listen to. not to break it down and study it maybe like YHF, but just to have fun and listen, background music, party music. nothing to really evoke a drastic response like YHF or any Radiohead record.

[nodep5]

I've been listening to the three Spoon albums I own (KTM, GF, GGGGG) and for me Spoon is awesome on a mix cd here and there, but a whole album at once is hard for me. I just don't connect with anything lyrically from them and the whole cool vibe and sound grows old after 4 or 5 songs. I guess it is kind of like the Strokes for me. I guess I'm missing the connection on a deeper level outside of "Man that is a sweet groove"

[auctioneer69]

I've been listening to the three Spoon albums I own (KTM, GF, GGGGG) and for me Spoon is awesome on a mix cd here and there, but a whole album at once is hard for me. I just don't connect with anything lyrically from them and the whole cool vibe and sound grows old after 4 or 5 songs. I guess it is kind of like the Strokes for me. I guess I'm missing the connection on a deeper level outside of "Man that is a sweet groove"

 

I am in agreement with you. Again, a purely personal thing - but while enjoying Spoon haven't loved one of their albums all the way through. I am getting ready to cull my Spoon collection down to the best 4 - 6 songs from each album. It's funny you reference the Strokes. Couldn't agree more.Some great individual songs but a band whose music I don't connect to on anything but a superficial level.

[cryptique]

A Series Of Sneaks is their masterpiece, in my opinion. I love every song on it.

 

I can see how their other albums might not hold someone's attention, but that one ... wow.

[MattZ]

well, I may not be crazy about the album, but this video is pretty great (written in reverse):

 

[Smokestack Joe]

say what you will about the record, but i just love Britt Daniel's guitar tone/sound. fabulous!

[MattZ]

say what you will about the record, but i just love Britt Daniel's guitar tone/sound. fabulous!

 

agreed - he is one of my favorite guitarists for that reason alone. I love it.

[c.lo]

well, I may not be crazy about the album, but this video is pretty great (written in reverse):

 

 

it is pretty great. can't wait to see them in March.

[nodep5]

I commented earlier in this thread about Spoon's previous output being good mix tape quality but not holding my interest throughout an entire album.

 

Finnally picked up Transference, and after the first two tracks I thought "he we go again" but every song got better and I have to say this is a damn fine record. Great guitar sounds and guitar work, Brit's voice is in top notch form. Cool catchy groovy songs. I like this record a lot.

[drop dead ed]

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newbay/eq_201003/index.php?startid=24#/0

 

This by far is one of the best reads ever. If you like technical details and the thought process that goes into mixing and recording an album, this is amazing.

 

Made me pay even more attention to the layers. I thought it was interesting

[Scalzunfield]

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newbay/eq_201003/index.php?startid=24#/0

 

This by far is one of the best reads ever. If you like technical details and the thought process that goes into mixing and recording an album, this is amazing.

 

Made me pay even more attention to the layers. I thought it was interesting

 

Thanks so much for the share. GREAT article and fascinating as well. I'm putting the thing on loud in the car today and thinking of this article when I do.

[bigideas]

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newbay/eq_201003/index.php?startid=24#/0

 

This by far is one of the best reads ever. If you like technical details and the thought process that goes into mixing and recording an album, this is amazing.

 

Made me pay even more attention to the layers. I thought it was interesting

 

thanks for this. i am trying to find time to read it.

[HeWasNotRed]

Definitely my album of 2010 thus far. It may be becoming my favorite Spoon record overall, slightly edging out Gimme Fiction for that slot. It just feels like a more intense, truer version of Spoon. That was my only gripe with their amazing music in the past, is at times how disconnected and simply grooving it is. I feel like Daniels took a more personal detour on this, and the darkness of the album showcases this beautifully. "Before Destruction" is the absolute perfect, dissonant opening to such a wonderfully disjointed album. This takes the idea of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and turns it on its head, but not too drastically. Great stuff; now only The National need to release "High Violet" and this year will start turning the right way.

[drop dead ed]

Yeah what a stellar start so far. Spoon was on my 2010 waiting list as well as:

 

The National

Delta Spirit

Dr. Dog

 

but Spoon's new album blew me away.

[Smokestack Joe]

if people are still talking about this record after releasing early January, it must be a special record.

[HeWasNotRed]

Heck yeah, I'm admittedly more excited for The National's new album than I was for Spoon's, nonetheless, "Transference" is an album not to be missed. Great, great stuff..

[sky blue bats]

love, love love!

[Oil Can Boyd]

Britt Daniel has two new bands:

 

http://stereogum.com/1113871/spoons-britt-daniel-has-another-new-band-called-splt-sngle/news/

 

We’ve already heard a bunch of news about Divine Fits, the new group that Spoon frontman Britt Daniel has formed alongside Wolf Parade/Handsome Furs co-leader Dan Boeckner and the New Bomb Turks’ Sam Brown. And now Daniel says that he’s recording with yet another group. This one is called Spl:t S:ngle, and its other members are Telekinesis/Verbow bassist Jason Narducy and Superchunk/Mountain Goats drummer Jon Wurster.

As Pitchfork points out, Daniel recently talked a bit about his new band in an Exclaim! interview. Apparently, the new band has already recorded 13 songs, and Daniel won’t be the frontman. Narducy wrote and sang all the songs.

Daniel also stresses that he isn’t done with Spoon, and he has at least a few ideas in mind for his main band. He says, “I do have some Spoon songs in the works,” and he also says that he’s asked the other members of the band to come up with some music for him to sing over: “I just sort of suggested it — I don’t know if they’ll do it. I’ve also come up with a few things. But I’ll finish up with this, and we’ll get back together again.”

Meanwhile, Divine Fits’ album A Thing Called The Divine Fits is out 8/28 on Merge.

[bleedorange]

I've really been looking forward to the Divine Fits album.