Soundbite

Spoon “Gimme Fiction” Merge
Records

“When you believe, they call it rock and roll?” With
a record like “Gimme Fiction,” singer/guitarist Britt
Daniel shouldn’t even have to ask. Spoon’s sixth and
best album takes the taut minimalist bent of 2002’s
“Kill The Moonlight” and fills in the blanks with
“Rubber Soul”-era Beatles. Spoon references the fab
four early and often, spinning around George Harrison’s
lyrics from “I’m Looking Through You” on
“My Mathematical Mind” and clothing “The Two
Sides Of Monsieur Valentine” in “Eleanor Rigby”
violins. The whole project smacks of early Beatles, from the
Lennon-esque rawness of Daniel’s vocals to the infectious
guitar pop of centerpiece “Sister Jack.” Opener
“The Beast And Dragon, Adored” begins with a heavy,
ominous piano, setting the stage for Spoon’s rock theatrics.
A confused, sputtering electric guitar solo soon enters the mix and
sticks around for most of the album’s stellar first half.
Tracks one through six of “Gimme Fiction” are a victory
lap of catchy hooks and full-bodied guitars, a much more
fleshed-out sound than Spoon’s previously sparse
sensibilities. The piano and jittery guitar solo returns after a
two-song departure on “My Mathematical Mind,” which
starts with Daniel saying, “Oh! Yes,” in an
off-handedly rock ‘n’ roll sort of way. Snapping back
to the textures of “The Beast And Dragon, Adored” shows
off Spoon’s confidence, reminding the listener that Spoon
does whatever it wants before returning to familiar territory. The
lyrics, more than ever, show off this power in moments like when
the group appropriates the first half of a Harrison couplet:
“I’m looking through you/you know who you are,”
the rough-voiced Daniel sings, in place of the original
“I’m looking through you/where did you go?”
Through the first half and even past the apex of “Sister
Jack,” Spoon sounds ready to take on anything. The energy
dissipates as the album enters the second half. The band returns to
default Spoon songwriting: “They Never Got You” is
little more than a muted guitar, and the unnecessary “Was It
You?” meanders along to machine-like drumming. Recognizing
the need to end on a high note, “Merchants Of Soul”
returns to the piano and adds staccato rhythms for an unusually
tense finish. It’s the kind of song that aches for the
resolution only starting the album over again can provide, as well
as makes up for any slowdowns. With “Gimme Fiction,”
the indie-rock stalwarts continue to improve. Here’s to
hoping that someday they give us the real thing. -David
Greenwald