Spoon
"Kill the Moonlight"
(Merge)

Texas band Spoon finds itself in the position every young band wants to be in, following a record that has allowed them to gain access to the ears of every critic and college-aged music fan in America. And without giving our turntables a rest, they have thrust upon us "Kill the Moonlight", an even MORE stripped-down effort than its predecessor, "Girls Can Tell". If Helium hadn't already used the title "No Guitars" for the 1997 EP, this would be a fitting time to use it. As the record starts it is clear that minimalism is the backbone of the new Spoon approach, as apparent by the presence of a beatbox on "Stay Don't Go" and the emptiness of "Paper Tiger". In fact, the band goes through nearly half the record with no guitars in sight, a trick that seems impossible for a band that has posed as a rock band with success the past 6 years. The whole idea of zero-guitar rock is an ambitious one (even more ambitious than Jeff Tweedy saying that the idea behind "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" was to record an entire album of songs that have only one chord each), yet rather than living up to its ambition, "Kill the Moonlight" comes off in many cases as being "Girls Can Tell" Lite, a watered down version of the grand statement of their career. Britt Daniels finds his voice coming to the fore on "Moonlight", a wise choice being that his voice was one of the strengths of "Girls Can Tell". Placing it at the top of the mix seemed to be a last ditch effort by a band that had gone through the major label circuit unsuccessfully and had yet failed to gain a captive audience. Britt's voice turned out to be an effective weapon for this, slicing its way through college radio charts and the hearts of college girls (as anyone who has been to a Spoon show recently _for the music_ can attest). "Kill the Moonlight" continues his string of impressive vocal performances, one of the strong suits of the record. In all, "Kill the Moonlight" is sure to whet the appetite of the Spoon fan awaiting the next chapter in their musical career. Although it doesn't meet the bar set by "Girls Can Tell", it is an inspired effort that contains all the things that are likeable about Spoon.
--Karthik

Spoon
"Kill the Moonlight"
(Merge Records)
This is number 4. First there was Telephono. Few songs ran over two minutes, and it was a sonic blizzard of nails. Then there was A Series of Sneaks. Unrefined in the best way, raw for rock-sushi enthusiasts. Girls Can Tell was next, and it redefined power pop for most. Now we've got Kill the Moonlight. By far the most adventuresome album Spoon have tackled. Britt Daniel's sassy voice is the first stage of infection, the "whoa" stage if you will. Then, in a cascade of minimalism, the guitar bites you, followed intensely by the drums. Jim Eno makes the commitment real. He doesn't play a lot of notes on the kit, he just plays the right ones… every time. On Kill the Moonlight, Spoon fans get a little more breathing room. The production is teeming with unnerving swells and builds, yet some songs seem incomplete due to lack of resolve. It doesn't take away from the album, it merely separates Kill the Moonlight from the rest of the Spoon collection. For the classic songsmith, check out "You Gotta Feel It", "Back to the Life", and "The Way We Get By". For spatial celebrations, check "Paper Tiger" and Vitorrio E."

--Jeff