Album review - Spoon

This one's good.

No, that's not the whole review but it's a good place to start. Transference comes across like a cross between Spoon's more recent output, and the more stripped and spacey sounds of Girls Can Tell. There's all sorts going on in here, it's a real headphones record - noise drops in and out of songs, a couple of tracks change direction entirely then abruptly stop, and there's even the use of the classic fade-out......

Britt Daniel's band normally trade on grooves, but there's a lack of balance on Transference which makes for a destabilizing record. This, however, is a good thing. It's art with an emotional hit - Daniel's cryptic lyrics require continued listening until you hear the beat of his heart, and then the record hits you with its force.

There's a subdued nature to the opening tracks, and then Spoon hit their stride from 'Written in Reverse' onwards, reaching an apex with the brilliant 'Goodnight Laura' (one to play over the closing credits of the next Nick Hornby adaptation?) and standout track 'Out Go the Lights'.

Transference benefits immensely from sounding like a record that's not changed much from the demo versions, and the fact that the guys sound like they're loving being in each other's company.

It's a terrific achievement, deserving of critical and commercial acclaim. The former is guaranteed, the latter is likely to prove elusive once again. I'm not sure the band will care about that, and neither should we.