Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2453 in Digital Music Album
• Released on: 2007-07-10
• Running time: 0 seconds

Customer Reviews

a bit more mainstream than usual but still great...
Life might be full of disappointments but, quite on the contrary, through the years Spoon have proved a reliable source of enjoyment for me.

You might ask: what separates this band from thousands of other samey so-called indie bands? Lo-fi sound & look? checked. Praise from Pitchfork? Checked. Casual name-dropping by other indie acts/scenesters? Checked. Still, despite all evidence of the contrary, Spoon really manage to be one of a kind.
What makes them stand apart is what I used to call their trademark "coitus interruptus" sound, meaning infectious hooks that never really takes off and turn into a full-fledged chorus, remaining instead a hint, a tease to the ear.
This was especially apparent on one of their previous LPs, "Kill the moonlight", also a favourite of mine (not to say, the album through which I convinced most of my friends that this was truly a great band).
Beware, it is true that this album makes a few concessions to the classic song structure, thus slightly deviating from the aforementioned c.t. sound but, in the end, it's still there. Melodies that all sudden swerve to a different direction, riffs that instead of exploding into the boombastic apex you'd expext, implode or morph into something else.

I love this band and I think that this album will easily prove to be one of my favourite of the year (along with Blitzen Trapper's 'Wild Mountain Nation', for those interested).

Again, They Don't Disappoint
(Ga X 5)offers a logical progression in Spoon's already impressive discography. If critics level any criticism at this new album, most likely it will involve damning Spoon's consistency because there aren't any geniune surprises on this album. Well, so what? I consider their ability to put out one satisfying album after another surprise enough. They've found their niche---oblique, angular, and aurally textured pop-rock---and I think they're wise to stick to it.

(Ga X 5) successfully offers a hybrid of the sounds from the last few albums (Kill the Moonlight and Gimme Fiction) and as usual you can detect the often-noted influences ranging from the Kinks to Wire to, yes, Van Morrison (give "The Underdog" a spin to hear the VM influence.) Granted, the disc is short, clocking in at just over 30 minutes, but this is also in a way a sign of the band's restraint. They know what they do well, and here they're at the zenith of their powers. Even the odder, more difficult and cubist tracks in the record's middle dintinguish themselves as worthy slow-burners after repeated listens.

In short, definitely one of their best discs. You won't be disappointed. I hope they continue making discs like this for many years to come.

Rock & Awe
With the release of "Gimme Fiction" in 2005, I was convinced Spoon had made their masterpiece. It was the perfect combination of previously established elements: the sketch-like song structure and wild experimentation of 2002's "Kill the Moonlight" coupled with the flat-out cathartic pop of 2001's "Girls Can Tell." The songs (penned by vocalist/guitarist Britt Daniel) were simple and direct, yet imbued with an intensity of emotion not often found in modern music (or at least not as genuinely). The record was Daniel's shining moment as a songwriter; his definitive musical statement, one I thought he'd struggle to re-create throughout the rest of his sure to be long career. I never dreamt in a million years that he'd somehow surpass it. Especially on the follow-up album.

"Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" is that culmination, a record of monumental emotional depth that also manages to genuinely rock. While listening to tracks like the Jon Brion produced "The Underdog," it's apparent that Spoon is yet again breaking new ground, opening up their sound and exploring new territory while still adhering to the tried and true "Spoon" philosophy: simple and direct song-writing that packs an emotional punch. If you're tired of the vacuous music populating today's airwaves then give "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" a spin. You won't be disappointed.