Spoon

Kill the Moonlight (2002)

RipperWalk

They hail from Texas, land of the free and the capitally punished. They call Austin their home where the rain is as welcome as a Rolling Stone rock critic. They are Spoon, and they ain't just another silverware band.

Spoon's fourth album, "Kill the Moonlight" is finally catching the attention of the people who matter: other important bands, myself, Conan O'Brien and my girlfriend.

They are like wine, just getting better as they grow older. Their first album, Telephono, pronounced, "tell eff un oh" not "telle phono" brought their talent to the people of Matador records. Sparking countless comparisons to the Pixies, Spoon was quickly signed to Elektra records, ironically the Pixies old record label. After a critically acclaimed, but commercially disappointing sophomore album, "A Series of Sneaks" Elektra dropped Spoon before they could say, "Fuck you, you didn't advertise our fucking album you fucking pricks."

Then came Merge records, a label known for finding talent. Spoon released their third album, Girls Can Tell in the year 2000. Again, not commercially successful, but critics hailed the album as one of the year's greatest. Dropping constant guitars for mellow keyboards, Spoon found a new way to get attention.
2002 – "Kill the Moonlight." The album of the year, well, of last year.

Keeping with the keyboards and vocal harmonies, Spoon not only the best album of last year but the best of their career so far.

Opening with a strange drum loop, Britt Daniel and company jump into "Small Stakes," a song with little or no chorus, but gives you a feeling of wholeness by the time the song is over.

"We get high in back seats of cars, we brake in to mobile homes."

Next on the list comes the quasi-commercially successful song "The Way We Get By" which was featured on both the Carson Daly show and the Conan O'Brien show. After doing the talk show circuit, Spoon went on a nation wide tour which actually included a stop in Oregon, the land which is completely opposite of Texas, and for this, us Oregonians all thank Spoon.

"Kill the Moonlight" features the first ever human beat box on a song that I have ever owned. "Stay Don't Go" features Britt using his voice as the drums throughout the entire song. Three minutes and thirty five seconds of looped beats from a southerner's mouth. Perfect.
"Paper Tiger" shows Britt's talent at finding a way to write great lyrics that rarely, if ever, actually rhyme.

"I will no longer do the devil's wishes, something I read on a dollar bill."

"Paper Tiger" actually has absolutely no guitar throughout the song. Featuring only Britt's voice, a few drumsticks and a keyboard. Spoon has found a knack for keeping song writing simple, yet, at the same time, sounding so intelligent and complex.

The rest of the album features great songs like "Someone Something," a daring song that seems to have a piano playing guitar solos, and songs like "Don't let it get you Down" and "All the Pretty Girls go to the City" which demonstrate that Texas boys can write amazing love songs and even can get away with harmonizing a chorus.

"Hear em go do d-do d-do d-do d-do d-do."

Four albums, and countless number of memorable songs, and the members of Spoon still have day jobs as electricians and business majors. Finding time only to record and tour, but its all worth it. For one Spoon hits your town, you will ask for seconds.

"Religion don't mean a thing, it's just another way to be right wing."