Spoon- Lucifer on the Sofa
Label: Matador
Producer: Spoon, Mark Rankin, David Fridmann, and Justin Raisen
For the creation of their tenth long-player, frontman Britt Daniel led Spoon back to its origins in Austin, Texas to create Lucifer on the Sofa, the long-awaited follow up to 2017’s critically acclaimed Hot Thoughts. Given the subtle experimental nature of that predecessor, and the fact that this marks their first recording session in Austin in over a decade, it’d be easy to label this a “back-to-basics” effort. However, that would be to suggest that Spoon ever deviated that far from their straight-forward, unadulterated rock-driven roots or sound to begin with. They’ve remained consistently bound by a pure rock spirit throughout their entire career, and Lucifer only further extends that lineage within their discography. I’ve said it before, but it’s so true in today’s modern era of digitized studio sessions and cluttered production: it’s positively soul-cleansing to hear an album so anchored by classic guitar riffs, and this remains one of Spoon’s strongest suits. It’s fantastic to listen to an album that is unapologetically rock, without any signifier, asterisk or sub-genre tag lingering in the background. The instrumentation here is so full-bodied and crisp, Daniel’s vocals so passionately human, and the songs are similarly outstanding. The title track in particular is the making of a modern classic: a painfully sad tale about the process of having to mourn a loved one while they’re still alive, but no longer living.
Track Listing:
- “Held” (Bill Callahan)
- “The Hardest Cut” (Britt Daniel, Alex Fischel)
- “The Devil & Mister Jones” (Daniel, Andrew Cashen)
- “Wild” (Daniel, Jack Antonoff)
- “My Babe” (Daniel)
- “Feels Alright” (Daniel, Fischel)
- “On the Radio” (Daniel)
- “Astral Jacket” (Daniel)
- “Satellite” (Daniel)
- “Lucifer on the Sofa” (Daniel, Fischel)
The 706 
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