Start with a cover? The guys from Spoon dare in the intro of their new opus, Lucifer on the Sofaoffering a version of the song Held, born in 1999 by the band Smog – formerly the alias of lo-fi musician Bill Callahan. Originally stripped down and fragile, here it is muscled by distorted guitars, precise tempo drums and a fat bass line, while singer Britt Daniel pushes his vocals, steeped in blues.
Posted at 9:30 a.m.
This electrifying cover kicks off the 10and studio effort by veterans of Austin, Texas. We enter a rock disc, without artifice, where the guitar predominates.
After two albums that relied on synthesized atmospheres – They Want My Soulin 2014, and, above all, Hot Thoughtsin 2017 –, where the keyboards had gained center stage with the arrival of Alex Fischel (member of Britt Daniel’s other group, Divine Fits), Spoon turns on the amplifiers this time and strums the sixes with force. -strings.
We thus find ourselves in the universe heard on Ga-Ga-Ga-Ga-Ga (2007) and Gimme Fiction (2005): a soundtrack with rapid, close and repetitive pulsations – courtesy of a Jim Eno in great shape on drums – flights of jerky chords, emanating mainly from electric instruments and also from a few distant piano notes and saxophone, and the scratchy voice of Britt Daniel, mixed in the foreground.
Yes, this is a formula already known by Spoon fans. But to this nostalgic envelope of the beginnings are added the achievements of the last years; digital and synthetic are also present on Lucifer on the Sofa, but are more discreet. Instead of dominating the landscape, the keyboards add a few pops of color here – soft Astral Jacket – and there – vaporous My Babe – while ensuring a happy sound complement to classical instruments.
We leave this new album thinking that Britt Daniel, who is now 50 years old, has been able to exploit the experience acquired over the course of his 30-year career and that, thanks to this, his group remains always relevant. Yes, Spoon is a safe bet in the wonderful world of rock.
Rock
Lucifer on the Sofa
Spoon
Matador Records