Fuzzy Bits:
Released July 10, 2007
Last Album: Gimme Fiction (Ranked #2 on my Top 40 Albums of 2005)
Sounds Like: A Freaking Masterpiece
Overall Rating: 98
I can really sum up this album (and damn well every other Spoon album) in three words: God Bless Spoon. Seriously, I have to think that sometime in the future people will actually begin to appreciate the genius behind this band. That may appear to be an overstatement, but given that they haven’t released anything less than good music in their entire career, that’s a pretty good start. If they were able to translate their immaculate attention to detail to their live performances perhaps they wouldn’t be so overlooked, but it’s a shame nonetheless given the amount of critical acclaim they’ve received over the years. All that being said, let’s get to Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, an album that has an uncanny level of maturity– especially given its amateurish title. The album begins with two equally haunting tracks, “Don’t Make Me a Target,” and “The Ghost of You Lingers,” both of which are particularly unorthodox. The former constantly alternates its pace via the percussive riffs of the guitars and piano, while the vocals on “The Ghost of You Lingers” are truly the centerpiece of the song, as they materialize seemingly out of thin air and float over the piano. From there, Spoon does a bit of motown-influenced rock in “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” which evolves out of the mid-tempo rock that they’ve fine-tuned over the years. The one-two knockout punch on this album lies within “The Underdog” and “My Little Japanese Cigarette Case,” which are so good that I would personally list them among the best songs that Spoon has written. These songs also truly showcase not only what is great about this particular Spoon album, but also what makes them so consistently impressive. When stripped to its core, “The Underdog” is built around a relatively simple chord structure, but the incredible dynamic that is brought via the horns and percussion is what elevates the song to being that much better. Furthermore, the nuances in the production and instrumental performances are absolutely dazzling as you’re sure to hear something new with each listen (particularly on headphones). With “My Little Japanese Cigarette Case,” the song also starts off being a relatively simple riff before slowly evolving over the course of the track to the point where spanish guitar and well-timed piano solos are interjected bringing an incredibly vibrant performance. Another gem on this album is the closer “Black Like Me,” as Britt Daniel’s voice expresses a real sense of yearning that plays off the other instruments wonderfully and will guarantee to get your toes tapping. Like Gimme Fiction two years ago, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is an absolute can’t miss album to have, and I can all but guarantee that it will be in my top 5 albums at the end of the year.
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