Transference

I purchased the LP at the store. On the package it was noted that a coupon inside would allow me to download a digital copy of the album. That was indeed the case. What is not clear is whether LPs purchased from Amazon would contain the same coupon. Before you purchase the LP and mp3s separately, you might want to check into it.

They should have used a producer. Sorry Spoon, but your new album is a complete disappointment. I hope you got making an upscale demo out of your system and get back to the class act rock band that you have been prior to putting out this crap.

Love Spoon, most everything they've done. This one is a bit different, more mature to my my ear, but with all of Spoons great minimalist un-over produced sound. Sort of a mix of Cake, minus the horn New Pornographers. I Saw the Light an A+, Written in Reverse sounds channels the ghost of John Lennon, if he were alive I'm sure he'd sound like this.

Spoon kicks off the new decade with a rousing release called TRANSFERENCE, yet another in relentless line of consistently strong releases by this group of Austin, TX indie troubadours. After successfully expanding their sonic palette with GIMME FICTION AND 2008's GA GA GA GA GA, Britt Daniel and company manage the feat of retreating to a sound closer to their earlier albums while still appearing to move forward.

All the earmarks of classic Spoon are in place here, Daniel's phlegmy woke up with a cold vocals, perpetually persistent instrumentation consisting of throbbing guitars, punchy keyboards, chunky bass, an unusually strong use of space in such a busy sound, plus enough hooks fill a greatest hits album by lesser groups. You may have heard it all before, but you'll want to hear it again.

While Spoon has yet to deliver a classic along the lines of LONDON CALLING, OK COMPUTER, BLOOD ON THE TRACKS or WAYNE NEWTON LIVE IN VEGAS, they do continue to put album after album of very high quality. Transference included, I'd find it tough to pick a clear favorite from their catalog. Key tracks include I SAW THE LIGHT, TROUBLE COMES RUNNING, GOT NUFFIN and my personal favorite THE MYSTERY ZONE. Fans of their previous works should proceed without

First off I recommend people read Lee L.'s review. It's right on. However, At this point I'd only rate it a 3, not a 5. I've only listened to this album twice and I find many of the songs inaccessible and not as melodic as on other Spoon albums. Another reviewer described the "tricks" in this album as contrived and they sound like it, with some songs just ending abruptly even in mid-lyric and other oddities like instrumentation being cut off unnaturally without letting the notes decay as you'd expect. The experimentation going on here can get annoying especially if you're used to other Spoon albums. I'm a big spoon fan and have these albums which I prefer in this order: Girls can Tell, Gimme Fiction, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, and Kill the Moonlight. If you've never had a Spoon album start with one of those. I'll persist in listening to this album and I hope it grows on me! I can already say that the back half of the album is more listenable than the front.