Music Review: Spoon: Transference (Merge Records, CD)

Indie darlings Spoon go without a producer on their seventh album—and it seems like they're in need of one. Left to their own devices, Spoon carries on with their typical skill on 11 new compositions here, but it all feels unfocused and lacking guidance. The disc's opener, “Before Destruction”, is especially rough—purposely so—sounding like a garage band recording in a garage with lo-fi equipment. That's a cool concept, but it doesn't warrant repeat listening. Elsewhere, the band cooks away with a nice groove here and there, but the lyrics and melodies seem thrown together on top with little thought or purpose. This kind of looseness may help their rebel image, but perhaps next time they should focus on substance over style.