I think it’s safely on the agenda that most people wouldn’t think of Texas as a place that produces anything else other than oil, 10 gallon hats and dubious presidents. However if you’re not well acquainted with the peppy, piano touting band Spoon then you can be forgiven for your assumptions.
It’s been quite a while since Spoon’s first effort Telephono (1996) came out and judging by the reviews, the album apparently went into the office of Rolling Stone magazine, spat on the furniture and stole a pot plant from the foyer. Basically it didn’t set the world alight. However, unlike a lot of groups, Spoon didn’t fade out after a disappointingly experimental third album. Instead, they improved with age. They really found their form with 2002’s Kill the Moonlight and made themselves an indie household name with the stoner ballad The Way We Get By. The 2006 film Stranger than Fiction used Spoon tracks as the basis for its soundtrack, with Britt Daniel co-penning some new material for it as well. Gimme Fiction (2005) solidified Spoon’s sound and confidence and paved the way for 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is the kind of album you really have to pass around to other people. One of the reasons for this is that pronouncing the name may offend anyone close by with a stutter – and don’t even bother if you’ve been drinking. Just show people the front cover and insist they listen to it.
The album opens with the peppy and cynical number Don’t Make Me a Target. Beginning with a memorable downwards chord progression, the song itself is quite political in its lyrics, but still open to interpretation. Well, it’s about Bush. Don’t be turned off by this though – Britt possesses a way with words, making for a song that is both endearingly smug and laced with clever metaphors.
The second track The Ghost of You Lingers is a slightly repetitive affair chord-wise but is still palatable thanks to Britt’s reverb laden reminiscence. The album goes from strength to strength with You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb – it’s instantly addictive right from the opening bells. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga forges ahead in some ways with prominent use of brass instruments to good effect, in songs such as the aforementioned Cherry Bomb and The Underdog. Brass is an unusual feature for modern indie rock, unless you’re accustomed to other instrumentally diverse bands such as Modest Mouse and Wilco. Spoon pulls it off with panache.
The mid-section of the album, despite being well done, can feel a bit samey. Luckily once you hit The Underdog things immediately start looking up. My Little Japanese Cigarette Case is probably the standout song of the album – its sparse yet suitable lyrics and the audible guitar lead up to the catchy-as-hell chorus. Britt demands his Japanese cigarette case and you’re inclined to give it to him.
Spoon has a reputation for a prominent rhythm section and bassist Rob Pope doesn’t let down with his signature thump and tumble on the four strings. Drummer Jim Eno holds it all together with his democratic percussion and Eric Harvey is a jack of all trades on the keyboards and backing vocals amongst others.
Despite not being radically different from its predecessors, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is a definite must-listen for indie folk.
iamnotthebiscuit
said ages ago