Spoon

Add Date: January 26

Artist: Spoon

Album: Transference

Label: Merge

Genre: Rock, Pop

Comments: Spoon! Spoon! Spoon! As an Austin group, Spoon will always hold a place of reverence in my heart. Admittedly Transference isn't as driving and pop-oriented as the killer Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, but after a few listens through it's hard to find anything to be disappointed in. The tracks are fresh (half of them are actually in their original demo form), thoughtfully-crafted, and oh-so specific. As Pitchfork explains so well, "This is a perfect example of the group's genius as a studio band: They get very cerebral in arranging their material, but every clever move is entirely in the service of maximizing physical impact and gut-level response. These are not simply recordings of a top-notch rock quartet playing in a room; this is art built to hit precise emotional marks with an impressive balance of off-the-cuff improvisation and rigid discipline." Whether you're already a Spoon-fan, or enjoy groups like Phoenix, Pixies, or TV on the Radio, you've got to listen to "Got Nuffin'" or "Written in Reverse."