Rock group succeeds despite
industry slow down
 By
Nate Cross
Staff Writer
On the surface, it appears that rock music has
been growing weaker for years.
The industry has hidden behind false icons like
Limp Bizkit and Creed while all the while its true savior has been hiding
in Texas and has been consistently excelling and overlooked for years.
Spoon hails from Austin, the capital of the Lone
Star State. For years, Austin has been hailed as one of America's biggest
music hot spots.
Spoon includes vocalist Britt Daniels, drummer
Jim Eno and bassist Josh Zarbo. The group creates rock music that is
part postpunk, part pop and totally indie. Spoon sounds similar to the
Pixies, Elvis Costello and Pavement. One of Spoon’s biggest strengths
is Daniels' voice, which comes across almost slurred, as if he's put
back a few at the bar.
Spoon is well traveled and has been on all types
of labels. After critically-acclaimed releases on the small Matador
Records, Spoon spent some time on the major record label Elektra Records.
But their stay wasn't long.
Four months after its last full-length release
(and first Elektra release), "A Series of Sneaks," the band found itself
without a label. Although adored by critics, the album failed to sell
well and Spoon was dropped, left dumbfounded and hurt by the experience.
The jaded band went as far as releasing a two-song CD titled "The Agony
of Laffitte," which was addressed to Ron Laffitte, the band's former
A&R representative at Elektra.
Bruised, but still skilled, Spoon moved to Merge
Records. "Girls Can Tell" is the band's first full-length release on
the label and it's a dandy.
The first song on "Girls Can Tell," "Everything
Hits At Once," is perfectly titled and well-placed. The tune has a slow
beat and at the same time, is extremely melodic. The hook is finely
cut and everything truly hits all at once, lyrically, musically and
sonically.
"Believing Is Art" starts out along the same slow,
euphonic path as "Everything Hits As Once" but builds and bursts into
a huge guitar riff with synchronous vocal layovers.
Daniels sings, "Things everybody would say/Believing
is hard/Believing is Art/Things everybody should know/The end will come
slow/And love breaks your heart."
"Take A Walk" may be a last attempt to say goodbye
to Elektra records and displays how hurt Spoon was after getting dropped.
In its quick bouncy rhythm, Daniels sings, "And now that the song's
been sung/it's just the cost of what's been done/the cost of taking
a walk with you."
"Girls Can Tell" is full of songs of hurt and love,
all well written and full of well-placed hooks and songs filled with
stress and relief.
Other highlights on the record are the addition
of the strange sounding mellotron on "10:20 a.m." and Daniels' whiney
voice along with guitar moans on "Lines In The Suit."
No two songs are too similar and "Girls Can Tell"
is all over the place from song to song but firmly rooted in quality
music throughout.
"Girls Can Tell" is one of the brightest spots
in music thus far in the new millennium. Girls can tell, and so can
the boys, that Spoon is one of the best bands people probably have yet
to hear. Sleep peacefully knowing that rock is resting safely in the
hands of this Austin trio.
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