The American indie rock band Spoon dropped their eighth studio album titled They Want My Soul in August. The band took a break after their last album Transference in 2010, which gave the members time to explore their own solo projects. The lead singer Britt Daniel said that the band was burned out but they would come together again to create their best album yet.
The first track, “Rent I Pay,” is also the first single off the album and starts the record with what may seem like a stereotypical song for the band. “Rent I Pay” is actually one of least interesting songs off of the album because it doesn’t go anywhere. It starts with a slow beat from Jim Eno on the drums but doesn’t offer anything past the catchy title.
Immediately after that is one of the best songs off of the album, “Inside Out.” “Inside Out” not only adds this spacey feel to the band, but brings in an M83 vibe where everything is polished but still sounds like rock. This is what creates an unforgettable experience on the album: the combination of the crisp keyboard and Daniel’s voice. Turn the bass up to eleven, lay down and close your eyes. What you will hear is something truly special, and a large portion of that is due to the keyboards. Alex Fischel and Eric Harvey create a beautiful tone in the melody with their unique style on the keyboards.
“Do You” is their second released single and the fourth track on the album, but right from the start the catchy tune has a hook. It’s a perfect example of mixing Spoon’s old voice and sound and creating a new tone for them. But it’s the sixth song entitled “Outlier” that really shows the new path for the band. There’s a wave of the keyboard that weaves in and out of the song, and Daniel really has a grasp on the vocals and lyricism. The band is almost taking cues from Arcade Fire with the extra keyboardist in every song, but they bring in a crisp pop to every note like M83.
It’s the final song on the album that ends with a bang. “New York Kiss” rumbles in on the keyboard once again and builds up to the catchiest lyrics in the whole album. The whole song has an escalation to the titular line and creates a bubbly tone that is very easy to dance to.
Throughout They Want My Soul, Spoon created an odd dance rock fusion, where songs are extremely catchy and fun to dance to but still retain that rock feeling. Some other songs to mention are “I Just Don’t Understand” with its crazy use of the piano and its Black Keys feel, and “Knock Knock Knock” for its fun use of pacing and the simplicity of the lyrics. They Want My Soul is not only the best album for the band, but it pushes them into a great new direction.