GA GA GA GA GA-Spoon

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Spoon
Label-Merge
Status-Out as of 2007
6th Studio Album
Rating-4 Feathers

Even with five albums down, Spoon have always been the little guy: never making any life changing compositions or taking any major leaps-until now. ‘Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’, the 6th edition to Spoon’s discography, is a journey through straight up indie, r & b, and brassy fanfare. It has something even the most casual Spoon fan can go ga ga over.

At first glance, the album seems a little weak. ‘Don’t Me a Target’ is a decent song that’s dramatic enough to be a starter, but it doesn’t really stick. For the 1st minute, the guitar and vocals together create a nice mellowed sound that is appealing, but then it never builds and it just drags. However, the 2nd song, ‘The Ghost of You Lingers’ is a gem. The staccato effect is genius, and then the airy vocals come in moving from speaker to speaker making the song perfect. ‘You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb’ and ‘Finer Feelings’ at first listen seem like nice little songs, each with simple guitar grooves and repetitive vocals. But, after listening to the album several times, they are really nothing special. They are a bit dry and monotonous compared to songs like ‘Don’t You Evah’, a cover of The Natural History’s ‘Don’t You Ever’. ‘Don’t You Evah’ also features a simple guitar riff, however, it is an exciting, danceable song. This is one of the best covers I’ve ever heard for it’s cleaner and Britt Daniel’s vocals are so much catchier and amiable. ‘The Underdog’ is another brilliant song. The horn arrangement following the rhythm guitars is just perfect, and the bright tone makes you smile. Though the Billy Joel influence is very evident in the song, it is an absolutely astounding song. The album ends with the somber ‘Black Like Me’. At first, it makes you want to cry with the opening line being ‘I’m in need of someone to take care of me tonight’, but the abrupt stop during the pinnacle of the song is very unsatisfying.

As a whole, this album was very well done. None of it is unlistenable, and there are very distinct ‘hits’ which will surely gain Spoon some well-deserved recognition. Though not every song is a sure standout, they each bring something different to the table helping create a nice indie gem. They may not be the most popular or well known, but after creating ‘Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga’, Spoon will now surely be known as more than the underdog.

“Well, I'm never trying to be commercial or accessible, or saying "let's do this weird stuff, but at the same time we gotta do this safe stuff," you know? I never think about it that way. I'm usually way more pleased with the stuff that just kinda happens by accident and is no way a pop song.”-Britt Daniel

Video for The Underdog

Recommendations: The Ghost of You Lingers, Don't You Evah, The Underdog, Black Like Me
Spoon's Official Website
Note: I hope you enjoy! I'm working hard to get more reviews out quicker, and I hope your reading them. I'll have Beirut's 'March of the Zapotec' out next, so stay tuned. I appreciate your comments!