They Want My Soul: Deluxe More Soul Edition

USギター・ロックの重要バンド、Spoonによる8作目『They Want My Soul』が未発表音源/デモ音源を追加収録したデラックス・エディションでリリース!!

1993年の結成以来2024年までに10枚のオリジナル・アルバムをリリースし、USギター・ロックの重要バンドとして今もなおシーンのトップで活躍するバンド、Spoonの通算8作目『They Want My Soul』が発売10周年を記念して、未発表音源/デモ音源などを計11曲追加収録した『They Want My Soul: Deluxe More Soul Edition』として〈Matador〉からリリース。2014年にリリースされ全米4位を獲得した本アルバムにはバンドの中でも人気曲とされる「Inside Out」、「Do You」、「Rent I Pay」などを収録しており、Spoonというバンドを語る上でも外せない名盤とされている。今回のリイシューは〈Matador〉の再発シリーズ〈Matador Revisionist History〉の1つである。

After spending the 2000s churning out consistently good albums, Spoon were due for a break. 2010's Transference reflected their weariness in its beautifully frayed collage of demo and studio recordings, so the four-year gap that followed wasn't surprising. During that time, Jim Eno produced albums by !!! and the Heartless Bastards; Eric Harvey released the solo album Lake Disappointment, and Britt Daniel formed Divine Fits with Dan Boeckner. That project couldn't help but rub off on Spoon's next album, especially since Daniel wrote much of They Want My Soul shortly after touring with Divine Fits and brought keyboardist Alex Fischel into the fold. Spoon's time off paid off; if they were weary before, here they're reinvigorated but self-aware. On several of these ten songs, Daniel laments that "they" want a piece of him, and the album revolves around obligations -- spiritual, romantic, financial -- that make for a witty focus for the band's first major-label album in over 15 years. On "The Rent I Pay," one of their best fusions of the Rolling Stones and Wire, Daniel pays his dues and defies them ("I ain't your dancer") while Eno's mighty snare hits signal that Spoon is back. On the album's title track, he includes Kill the Moonlight inspiration Jonathon Fisk among the laundry list of folks who want his vital force, but the irresistible harmonies and guitars give the song's paranoia an almost romantic tinge. Later, the standout "Let Me Be Mine" teeters between freedom and commitment with exuberant outbursts and chilly breakdowns reminiscent of Transference. But where that album's messy vulnerability was a big part of its appeal, They Want My Soul's sound is much tighter, thanks to two established sound-shapers: Dave Fridmann, whose intricate work embellished the music of the Shins and Sleater-Kinney, and Joe Chiccarelli, who produced the more mainstream likes of Jason Mraz and Counting Crows. However, the results are unquestionably Spoon. The hooky, strummy "Do You" is their version of a radio-friendly hit, while "Outlier" dresses its disses (“I remember when you walked out of Garden State/You had taste" takes aim at the song's subject and Zach Braff's movie) in busy percussion and swirling organs that borrow from late-'80s baggy. Songs like this, the sparkling "Rainy Taxi," and the swooning "New York Kiss" -- which could be a Divine Fits song -- showcase the depth Fischel's keyboards add to the band. A few indie quirks remain: many of They Want My Soul's most immediate tracks are at the bottom, and some of these songs take time to reveal themselves. "Knock Knock Knock"'s bristling guitars tip Daniel's hand more than his elliptical lyrics, while the raw cover of "I Just Don't Understand" feels like as much of a disguise as the more cryptic moments. Still, They Want My Soul is more of a welcome return than a comeback, and too complex to be considered back-to-basics -- especially when they reinvent the basics on each album. ~ Heather Phares

自身最高位となる全米4位を記録した前作から4年ぶり、初めて外部プロデューサー(デイヴ・フリッドマンとジョー・チッカレリ)を迎えて完成させた新作だ。クラウトロック由来のノイジーなエレクトロックや、ビートルズ愛丸出しのサイケ・ポップ、モータウン・ビートを敷いたナンバーなど、20年強のキャリアを総まとめしたような内容が楽しい。入門盤としても最適で、これをきっかけに新たなファンが付くといいな。
bounce (C)長崎耕平