Spoon epitomizes their most famous song, “The Underdog.” They sound like the guys who got kicked around in their youth but also decided it was time to punch back—led by vocalist/guitarist Britt Daniel and drummer/producer Jim Eno, Spoon experiments with left-of-center rock and electronic music while singing songs about paranoia and being nobody’s fool.
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They survived a major label mess with Elektra Records and have consistently made catchy, cerebral albums with taut arrangements and earnest lyrics. In the early days, Spoon lived under the shadow of their influences—notably Pixies and Pavement. On their third album, Girls Can Tell (2001), they reinvented the band and resurrected a flailing career. Spoon took a new sonic route paved by the old sounds of The Kinks and Elvis Costello. Daniel had moved from Austin, Texas, to New York City, and Spoon signed with a new record label, Merge Records. No longer tied to a major label, Daniel and Eno were joined by producer Mike McCarthy to make what Daniel called a “Hail Mary Pass” to find success. It worked, and Spoon hasn’t looked back. Girls Can Tell sold more than their previous releases combined.
By their sixth album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon reached No. 10 on the Billboard 200. The follow-up, Transference, debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The remarkable thing about the band is their resiliency since releasing their debut album Telephono in 1996. Daniel and Eno have responded to changing band members and changing record labels by reliably making boundless albums.
Returning to their biggest song, ironically “The Underdog,” Spoon has dealt with uncertainty by producing tight arrangements, with steady beats acting as security. Eno’s pocket groove supports Daniel’s vulnerability. They’ve inoculated themselves against a spiraling and unpredictable music industry by working as a proficient studio band. The studio is their safe space where every meticulous move has intended targets, resulting in gut and emotion.
With a catalog this good, it’s not easy picking only five essential songs from Spoon, a band with several must-listen albums. Still, there’s a job to do, and here are Spoon’s top five must-listen songs.
5. “Wild,” from Lucifer on the Sofa (2022)
Daniel co-wrote “Wild” with the world’s most in-demand pop producer, Jack Antonoff. Antonoff didn’t produce the track, but his pop sensibilities are all over this epic stomp. The guitars perpetually build into a glorious piano chorus that’s familiar territory to Antonoff’s work. Eno’s distorted drumming has shades of St. Vincent’s electropop album, Masseduction—produced by Antonoff. It’s a contagious banger from Spoon’s 10th studio album, Lucifer on the Sofa.
4. “Don’t You Evah,” from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007)
“Don’t You Evah” is a cover of The Natural History’s “Don’t You Ever.” The song is about commitment and the perils of exclusivity. Daniel sings about a partner getting cold feet in a longterm relationship, possibly headed for marriage. Weighing the fear of being alone against the fear of monogamy is universally salient. Though this puzzle is commonly paralyzing for some, Spoon makes panic sound so good. Revisiting The Natural History’s original, it sounds like they’re covering a Spoon song. Eno tightens the drums on Spoon’s take, and Daniel delivers a sympathetic and vibrant vocal.
3. “I Turn My Camera On,” from Gimme Fiction (2005)
A classic Spoon groove supports Daniel’s falsetto vocal like he’s channeling Josh Homme and the Bee Gees. The mathematical precision of Spoon’s funk still finds enough imperfection to keep from feeling stiff. The band’s superpower comes from drummer Eno. It’s not hard to trace Spoon’s musical influences on any given song, but Daniel and Eno provide something familiar while sounding exactly like themselves.
2. “The Underdog,” from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007)
If Burt Bacharach had formed an indie rock band with Elvis Costello, they’d have sounded like this. Clapping hands and blowing horns propel Spoon through this delicious ode to the underdog. Though there isn’t a resolution from singer Daniel, Spoon’s confidence may inspire the outsider narrator in this song. It’s no surprise Daniel sounds convincing singing “The Underdog.” His career could have imploded a hundred ways, but thankfully, he didn’t quit.
1. “The Way We Get By,” from Kill the Moonlight (2002)
If you listen to Spoon, you know they love hand claps. When the half-time beat breaks over the bouncing piano, the listener is dared not to boogie. It’s all Iggy Pop and punk rock for a new generation with abstract lyrics leaving interpretation open and malleable. Daniel has one of the best voices in rock ‘n’ roll. Eno is the king of creative grooves, and together with Daniel’s snarling voice, Spoon is endlessly fascinating to listen to.
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