So Spoon is dropping a new album called Hot Thoughts in March. Whenever there’s a new Spoon album I always get a little geared up, know what I mean? There’s just something about this Austin band that exudes cool and slickness. Now normally that would keep me away from a band, cause who needs all that coolness and slickness. Sounds dangerous, like unsalted sidewalks in winter. But Spoon, they’re different. As monstrously cool and debonair as Britt Daniel comes across, at his core he’s just a nerdy dude that loves good music. A hopeless romantic that’s gotten that muscle in his chest broke a few times in his life. Probably picked on by the jocks in high school because he dug that sad-faced melancholy clown Robert Smith and got overly excited when he heard the Kinks’ “David Watts”. Daniel is my kind of people. So he gets a pass for being the James Bond of indie rock.
The lead single, title track “Hot Thoughts” seems to be riding the ever beautiful sheen of 2014s They Want My Soul. It’s a dance-y, rump-shaking number that once it kicks in kind of has this Stones-y “Monkey Man” vibe before getting all hand clap-y and dramatic with some great synth swaths and Daniel’s simple but eloquent guitar work. The album is produced by Spoon with Dave Fridmann, who worked with them on a few tracks on Soul. This time he stuck around for the long haul and his bombastic approach is present, but things aren’t quite in the red. No crackling drums or over pushed faders. It’s a crisp and tight sound. Really, the evolution of Spoon’s sound.
This band is destined to be one of the greats. With the last record, and now Hot Thoughts, I think Spoon are on a collision course with greatness. I think they’re in a position where they can pretty much do whatever they want at this point. Much like Fridmann’s fearless freak pals The Flaming Lips. The Lips have been with Warner Bros Records since 1992. They seem to be able to put out whatever they want, make gummy skulls with flash drives in them, experiment as much as they want on a major label’s dime, and just keep going. If The Lips can make a 24-hour song, I think Spoon can achieve some serious historical music cred. I mean, they already have pretty much. From hear on out everything else is icing on the cake.
Hot Thoughts is out March 17th via Matador Records.
