With Lucifer on the Sofa, Spoon go directly for a cutthroat, bluesy, and straight to the point rock and roll record at less than 40 minutes with no BS. It's rough and tough, gritty, and loud while also having some of their best performances to date. Now nearly 30 years into their career, Spoon are still the most consistently great band in rock.
Having been a band for nearly 30 years, Austin Texas-based band Spoon have become the most consistently great band in rock. Providing a great record after record after record over the years, Spoon have a fantastic knack for indie rock, blues, and punk music. Believe it or not but their last album Hot Thoughts came out five years ago, way back in 2017. This feels like a lifetime ago but at the same time it feels like yesterday when it came out. It was one of the band's most experimental records by seeping dance and electronic music into their bluesy indie rock aesthetic. Normally, you would think that the band would continue to further hone in on this style but Spoon are unlike other bands. They pivot completely with Lucifer on the Sofa, the band's tenth studio album. Instead of the electronics, Spoon go directly for a cutthroat, bluesy, and more to the point rock and roll record at less than 40 minutes in total length. It's rough and tough, gritty, and loud while also being familiarly Spoon. It's a no BS record that also throws some curveballs, whether it be within the production or the performances themselves.
There are definitely some similarities I get in between this new album and the band's eighth album, 2014's phenomenal They Want My Soul. This seems like the proper projection more so than Hot Thoughts, where They Want My Soul has some of the loudest, punchiest and sharpest pure rock songs they've ever put out, all while being incredibly fun and playful. Lucifer on the Sofa has plenty of songs in this same vein with gritty rock that's directly in your face without moving a muscle. Like, it's the band's classic rock record: I can picture these guys with toothpicks in their mouths, slicked back hair, cowboy boots and hat on, while riding the meanest looking motorcycle, all fully tatted up. This is like Deerhunter's rough and tough Monomania record but not as messy or lo-fi. For starters, "The Hardest Cut" is one heck of a lead single. It has one of the meanest guitar riffs I've ever heard, let alone from Spoon themselves, and that riff alone is the only reason you need to check out this entire album. "Held" is a mean intro to this record really setting the album up with total ambiance of gritty noise and groove at a steady pace.
"The Devil & Mister Jones" is classic blues with saxophone, slick guitar grooves, and glossily dreamlike keys. "Wild," which was released as a single, might be one of my favorite Spoon songs ever? I mean time will tell with more listens but this song rules, dude. The way this excellent groove slides in perfectly with frontman Britt Daniel's signature songwriting and singing. And those piano keys? (Insert chef's kiss). It's a perfect classic Spoon song that also sounds refreshingly new too. "My Babe" is a stunning ballad with acoustic guitar, fluttering keys and one of the strongest vocal performance from Daniel on the album. Its beauty and quality could've easily snuck into They Want My Soul without batting an eye. "Feels Alright" has saloon styled keys and illustrates a bar brawl from a classic western flick with its sonics. "On the Radio" could've also been places on that record due to its punchy piano rock, tight hooks, and vocal melodies very reminiscent of songs like "They Want My Soul," "Rainy Taxi" or "Do You."
The album concludes with three of the quietest moments on the album but that doesn't mean they aren't as memorable as the louder ones that preceded them. This album's closing three ballads are some of the best Spoon ballads in the band's career. "Astral Jacket" is gorgeously crafted and sways as gracefully as a turquoise ocean wave under the bright starry night sky. It's the closest thing to Spoon being ambient the way the harp and electronics shimmer with the track. "Satellite" is another stunner that features one impressive noisy guitar shredding sol. The moody title track closes the album with melancholy keys, gleaming saxophone, twangy guitars, and some outstanding vocal melodies.
As much as I've mentioned how straightforward and to the point Lucifer on the Sofa seems to be, Spoon definitely find ways to make these songs more complex, detailed, and interesting to listen to once you dive in. All of these songs are great and they are some of the tightest performances they've ever put on record. It's an album that's so genuinely enjoyable and consistent in quality that it would be extremely hard to pinpoint anything bad or negative about it. It's for sure a proper follow up to their 2014 album rather than the 2017 one but I suppose it really doesn't matter when they come out. Lucifer on the Sofa has a lot of qualities that I loved from They Want My Soul while also being entirely new and stands on its own. For an album taking older blues and indie rock and taking it to new heights, Lucifer on the Sofa is the blueprint to follow. Spoon don't necessarily need to prove anyone anything at this point but I'm glad they're continuing to make consistently fantastic records. May Spoon continue to rule for another 30 years please.
My Rating: 8 / 10
Favorite Songs: "Wild," "My Babe," "On the Radio," "Astral Jacket," "Held," "The Hardest Cut"
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