I was on Tumblr the other day when I saw this post called the “Anatomy of Music”. It listed different genres and it gave the general (and very funny) structures of the songs that are associated with them. Indie music was comprised of banjo, twentysomething problems, faster banjo and it made me think of the state we’re in now of indie rock being grouped as just “the genre that The Lumineers share” and no newcomers look for other bands except what’s played on the radio. That’s where this album can hopefully change all of that because They Want My Soul is perfect for being the new staple in the indie rock savant’s collection.
They Want My Soul starts off with the medium-paced single “Rent I Pay” that takes blues to the next level and instead of talking about the twentysomething problems that make indie rock repetitive, it talks more about problems with insomnia, not finding peace and how everything comes back to you no matter what you do, problems in the now rather than the plight of teenage romantics. We then get into the beautifully slow “Inside Out” which shows a bit of the psychedelic side with minimal guitar, soft synthetic harp and a pushed back “mmm” that rides the whole track with the with the treble-reduced production. “Rainy Taxi” has a bassline that makes you remember why Spoon grooved with simplicity and a drum riff that keeps you feeling badass, like walking into a wedding reception and you have more life than the groom. The single “Do You” still has to be my favorite song off of this release. Everything about is brilliantly paced, the triple Britt Daniels’ voices work off of each other gracefully, the little do do dos and hm mm mms paired with the reverberated flute make a dreamy ending that people will try to replicate.
“Knock Knock Knock” has the dark piano, acoustic guitar, ethereal phasing moans and subtle drum groove (paired with an equally sublte flanger) that slowly reveals a tired friendship. “Outlier” is more a instrumental that has a jazz background akin to that of a heist film, and the title track is a hilarious Randy Newman/Sonic the Hedgehog soundtrack sounding song about paranoia that has Daniel shrieking about how card sharks, street preachers, sellers, palm readers, post-sermon socialites, park enchanters in skin tights, educated folk singers and even Jonathan Fisk (from the album Kill the Moonlight) all want his soul. “I Just Don’t Understand”, “Let Me Be Mine” and “New York Kiss” all end the album in different ways, a blues track with enough soul to be a Black Keys track, a traditional indie rock track, and a synthpop track that combines Cut Copy and the traditional sound with glitches and production tricks.
Final Verdict: This is one of the best indie rock albums I’ve heard in a long time and it is the first perfect indie rock album I’ve heard this year. The production tricks are the ones I’ve come to expect from Spoon’s earlier work on Transference while still maintaining an accessible collection of songs that are friendly to all ears. While nothing is as crazy with experimentation as “The Mystery Zone” or “Who Makes Your Money”, They Want My Soul doesn’t need it and its heartfelt soul from Britt Daniels and company is a breath of fresh air in this age of Imagine Dragons hardness and Parachute softness. This’ll be on blast forever at my place.
Hey everyone! I'm Christopher Hopkins, friends call me Oatmeal, and I'm a music reviewer, graphic designer, gamer, and artist. Can't wait to start posting up on here!