THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2010 #19 - Spoon: Transference Words by Dirk Calloway

 

THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2010
#19 - Spoon: Transference

Words by Dirk Calloway

Preface: I listened to 81 albums from 2010 and have decided to write a review per day on the top 20 from that bunch. You are reading #19 today. Come back tomorrow for more!

Let's start with the facts. Metacritic, one of those sites that the internet would fall apart without, awarded Spoon a prestigious title: "Top Overall Artist of the Decade." The Guardian have said of the band that they "have made it to seven albums without any significant variation in high quality." Rolling Stone say their frontman is the kind of guy "with endless hooks in his pocket and endless tricks up his sleeve." So, yeah, we're dealing with a group of heavy-hitters today folks. If Spoon aren't already considered one of indie rock's heavyweights, they're damn sure to be contenders. After the roaring success of 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, the band found themselves on the precipice of greatness.

So what did they go and do with that set-up? They unleashed a bastard on the world. Transference sounds like the out-of-wedlock spawn that would eventuate if Radiohead's Kid A shacked up in a threesome with Dinosaur Jr and The Black Keys. This is perhaps the most over-produced under-produced sound I've ever heard. Every song is a contradiction. Sonically, it's as if they recorded the album five times over and smudged the results together. One minute the song is set deep in a room that's laden with echo and warmth, then - without a moment to adjust - the whole band are millimetres from your ears. Because I can't say it any better, here's Pitchfork's thoughts:

Pitchfork's Matthew Perpetua:

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.

I'm not sure I can say that about much "indie rock" these days. This is built art. It's not found, it's not accidental, and you can bet your ass that they can play it live, note-for-note. The amazing thing about Transference is its immediacy, despite its construction. Check out this video of the band recording lead single Written In Reverse for a feel of the solid foundations they've built this cut upon:

The version in the video is not the way it sounds on the album, but it's so tight it might as well be. Good luck finding a band capable of that sound in a pub on a Friday night. They're a world-class unit, self-producing immediately inaccessible pop. Ha ha, told you, a contradiction.

So, what about the songs themselves? It's as if the band could care less about choruses, or endings. Far more important to them is the beginning of a track and the thrill of its crescendo. The lack of a "singalong" moment (see, told you, Kid A's spawn) is not immediately obvious on first listen. A couple of plays later though, the feeling of something being missing will be inescapable. And then, magically, upon a further two listens, you will forget about it again. I've talked to a few people about this, and they've all confirmed the same thing. So, consider this fair game warning: you'll love it, then feel lonely or empty, and then you'll feel awash with the same determination the band no doubt felt when they first stepped into the recording studio.

I realise now that I've spoken quite glowingly about the album as a whole, and that stands counter to its position in the "Top 20." Succinctly: this is not an LP I ever feel compelled to play. When I do, I have a great time, but its rank reflects my reluctance to get excited about it before turning it on. Perhaps it's the fairly dull cover, or maybe it's the lack of a good ol' "yeah yeah yeah hey hey hey" chorus? If you've heard it, how about you let me know your thoughts in the comments section? I'd love to hear if you think such a good album should be ranked so low in the Top 20! 

Make sure you tune in tomorrow to read about an album that is a second attempt at a comeback for a beleaguered and freshly rehabilitated artist...