Transference

Spoon’s eighth album, 2010’s Transference, alters their attack ever so slightly. Less lush than their 2007 breakthrough hit Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, there’s still plenty of sublime pop lurking in this duo (plus others). “The Mystery Zone” crackles like a hit single in waiting, the pianos coasting to the surface as the song swells from its sparse beginnings. Spoon are masters of mood and dynamic. The album’s core, beginning with “Who Makes Your Money” and working through “Trouble Comes Running,” makes for a revisit towards the terse pop one finds on Joe Jackson’s I’m the Man with the additional tonal colors one expects from Brian Eno. After four substantial albums released in the past decade, Spoon show no sign of losing their sound or soul. “Written In Reverse” jams forth with a street-tough walk. “Goodnight Laura” delivers a welcome but unexpected piano ballad. It’s called being “in the zone” and Spoon are there showing off their formidable skills.