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Grantland article on TWMS...

(8 posts)
  • Started 9 years ago by Vittorio_E
  • Latest reply from iamthekey

  1. Vittorio_E
    Vittorio_E
    (39 Posts)

    Interesting write up on how TWMS is the band's "comeback album." Don't necessarily agree as I thought Transference was great from the first listen, but a good read nonetheless:

    http://grantland.com/features/spoon-they-want-my-soul-review/

    Posted 9 years ago #
  2. Tyler Darling
    Tyler Darling
    (706 Posts)

    @Vittorio I agree I, love Transference. I mean just think of the songs. You might say "Oh that album, it was ok." But, Mystery Zone, Written in Reverse, I Saw the Light, Trouble Comes Running, Out Go the Lights & Got Nuffin are highlights to me. Oh wait that's half the album. I think everyone just needs to re listen to it again. I personally think it aged well.

    I remember listening to it for the first time on vinyl with a friend. We put side 2 on and "I Saw the Light" started, and we both thought oh cool song. Then the transition happened and we're like oh wait......this is a truly great song.

    In short, anyone who didn't like it should re-listen.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  3. User has not uploaded an avatar
    ccpkeet
    (10 Posts)

    I personally loved Transference. I'm biased, though. I've loved every record that they've put out since A Series of Sneaks and first started going to see them live around the Kill The Moonlight era. I saw them play in Bloomington, Indiana during the Gimme Fiction era. They were digging deep into the back catalog. I saw them play a secret show during Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. I think I've seen them on every tour for the last 8 years or so and I've probably caught them live 7 or 8 times. I'm lucky, I guess.

    Transference hit me immediately and it was a great soundtrack to a bad breakup.

    Kill the Moonlight, Gimme Fiction hit me immediately.

    Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga didn't grab me right away. I bought it and I took it out to LA with a rental car (was doing music production work) and drove around LA / beach towns listening to it. I probably had to spin "Ga" 20 times before it sank in and now it's one of my favorite records of theirs. In some ways I find parallels between "Ga" and They Want My Soul. The production is different but there are parallels. They Want My Soul is not hitting me right away, but I'm liking it more with each spin. I think these two records have way more layering and a lot of stuff going on beneath the surface. There's more to hear and discover with each listen. They are kind of dense records compared to something like Transference, which to me is somewhat stark and minimal at times. Gimme Fiction is kinda minimal in a way too. Just a thought. Either way They Want My Soul is a cool record and kind of twisted and sinister and I love all of the freak out moments where it bursts into crazy guitar.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  4. User has not uploaded an avatar
    iamthekey
    (81 Posts)

    Article actually seems pretty insightful about the use of narrative when promoting albums. I think he "gets" Transferece, I love how he says he doesn't enjoy it, but he's not really supposed to *enjoy it. Transference is one of my fav records by Spoon, I probably have re-listened to it the most. And its stark production is a farce, there is a whole lot going on production-wise on it. But anyway, I think his point was that TWMS will be marketed as a comeback album just because Transference was a darker record, and this one sounds like a celebration. Its also, to me, hilarious how he describes most Spoon releases. Its just, here' another excellent album. No bullshit media narratives. To me, that's what I love about Spoon but most people obviously gravitate toward the narrative.

    I agree with the guy when he says a lot of the ideas on TWMS seem like a continuation from Transference. To me, the title track TWMS seems somewhat like a hi-fi, more positive reworking of Trouble Comes Running. Just in the central idea I suppose.

    Also, Im getting some brit-pop era Blur vibes from this record. Which I love.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  5. Tyler Darling
    Tyler Darling
    (706 Posts)

    @ccpkeet That's interesting you felt that way about Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. I always thought that was one of their easiest records to get into. It's how I would introduce the band to someone. But that is just my opinion. I like the way music recalls a period in your life. Even if it was a bad memory, re listening later makes you feel like you conquered that time and you can move on you know?

    Posted 9 years ago #
  6. Tyler Darling
    Tyler Darling
    (706 Posts)

    @iamthekey I agree 100% with your take on the title track TWMS. I thought of trouble comes running immediately. I wanna re-listen to everything with headphones though. Things pop out at you differently that way.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  7. User has not uploaded an avatar
    I of the Storm
    (1 Posts)

    I also agree with you, Vittorio. I did not understand some of the Transference narrative, as I was hooked from the opening chords of Before Destruction.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  8. User has not uploaded an avatar
    iamthekey
    (81 Posts)

    also Rainy Taxi makes me think of Got Nuffin. They also use that vocal delay trick (but better) from Is Love Forever, I think on Do You.

    Posted 9 years ago #

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