Spoon - Transference

Spoon

Transference
Merge
LP/CD

As this if the first review of new music this year, I wish I could say we were starting out on a better foot here. But even as much of a Spoon fan as I am not really, there is very little here to rope the casual fan in. Fans listening for "The Way We Get By," or "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb," are going to be sorely disappointed. Britt Daniel's songwriting strengths have always been rooted in pop prowess. That is largely absent here.

There is not very much on Transference to get excited about. The title itself implies that fans will listen to this and just love it anyway, based on past enjoyment. Since I am not a diehard fan of Spoon's, that ploy has no effect on my judgment. Outside of the single, "Got Nuffin'", I have a hard time trying to find a song I would ever want to hear again. Who knows? Maybe in 20 years, I will view this as music historians have viewed Lou Reed's Berlin or (film buffs see Blade Runner) as classics before their time. As for right now, this reminds me of U2's No Line On The Horizon: an album by a band resting on their laurels and being loved for it, probably because the American public identifies with their laziness or just doesn't know any better.

Track Grades:

1. Before Destruction - 5.7
2. Is Love Forever - 6.4
3. The Mystery Zone - 6.6
4. Who Makes Your Money - 6.2
5. Written In Reverse - 6.8
6. I Saw The Light - 4.4
7. Trouble Comes Running - 6.7
8. Goodnight Laura - 6.0
9. Out Go The Lights - 6.6
10. Got Nuffin - 7.5
11. Nobody Gets Me But You - 5.8

Overall Grade = 6.25