Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
by Spoon
  • Record Label: Merge
  • Release Date: Jul 10, 2007
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Filter
    92
    Even when they’re forging new ground (which is often) or mixing it up with any of the aforementioned conversation points, they still manage to sound exactly like themselves.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is one of those ''taking stock'' records that collates and refines everything that came before. But what an inventory of sounds they've built.
  3. AllMusic
    90
    Concise and lively, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is a remarkable blend of focus and creativity.
  5. PopMatters
    90
    Fresh and familiar is a consistent hallmark of the Austin band, and Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga proves to be no exception.
  6. Tiny Mix Tapes
    90
    Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is Spoon’s finest release since 2001’s "Girls Can Tell" and fills me with a happiness rarely delivered in a genre filled with groups that never improve upon their debuts.
  7. cokemachineglow
    90
    I think Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is the album of this year and maybe of the next.
  8. Drowned In Sound
    90
    What’s really on display here is a well honed, experienced band flexing their muscles and creating tightly controlled, good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll music (of a rather cerebral variety) on their own terms, free from the weighty plague of fashion.
  9. Delusions of Adequacy
    90
    Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is painfully short; a lean, black-tie rock album, and one of the year's best in a year full of great records.
  10. Austin Chronicle
    89
    Thirty-six minutes of a detailed, agonizing shot in the arm, a veritable buffet of musical stylings, each song bettering the one before, from a band that just as easily could've released a new version of "Gimme Fiction."
  11. Pitchfork
    85
    Through whatever process they use, the band has also managed to create yet another wonderfully singular indie rock record, unafraid of unfettered passion or self-sabotage, and which affirms a shrouded, hybrid style as unquestionably theirs.
  12. Stylus Magazine
    83
    1997's "I Could See the Dude" was abrupt, intriguing, emotive, and obtuse - these have always been within Spoon’s grasp, but rarely have they felt as unified as they do now, a baby’s first word burped up five times.
  13. The A.V. Club
    83
    Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is more scattershot, as though Daniel weren't sure whether he wanted to make his big pop push, keep pursuing rhythmic deconstruction to its logical end, or just give up entirely and make "A Series Of Sneaks" again.
  14. MSN Consumer Guide (Robert Christgau)
    83
    A trifle brighter, quicker and fuller than "Gimme Fiction."
  15. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    80
    Each and every hand clap and piano chord on their foot-stomping, flawless new album, now streaming on their label's Website, is obsessively placed.
  16. Billboard
    80
    "Ga Ga" stand out as a fun, if somewhat peculiar, addition to the Spoon catalog.
  17. Prefix Magazine
    80
    They've found the blueprint to the instantly memorable rock song - and Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga contains several - and continued to follow the instructions.
  18. musicOMH.com
    80
    There are moments of sheer brilliance on Ga... and due to the band keeping things short and sweet (the album clocks in at about 36 minutes) those moments are rarely far apart.
  19. The New York Times
    80
    The result is an indie-rock album that sounds mysterious without being diffident or difficult, without piling on the noise or retreating into whimsy.
  20. Village Voice
    80
    Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, the group's sixth album, boasts an instrument roll call that might look swollen - trumpet, Chamberlin, cello, koto, flamenco guitar - but Spoon wear it well.
  21. Boston Globe
    80
    From the terrific pulsing opener, "Don't Make Me a Target," to the curt horn and acoustic-guitar stomp of "The Underdog," these wonderfully produced and arranged songs brim with optimism and are pounded out purposefully.
  22. Hartford Courant
    80
    There's plenty for everyone to love here, actually, and despite the silly title, Spoon's latest is worth going ga-ga over.
  23. Amazon.com
    80
    Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is the mark of men confident enough to give their album one of the world's goofiest titles.
  24. Rolling Stone
    80
    Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga might be Spoon's commercial breakthrough, doing for them what "Good News" did for Modest Mouse, but for certain it's one of the Austin, Texas, trio's finest records.
  25. Lost At Sea
    80
    Spoon has again produced a collage of songs that may be proverbial, but are not paint-by-numbers.
  26. Spin
    80
    The tug-of-war between bristly unavailability and candid confession mirrors a musical duet between post-punk snarls and genial pop charms. There's no resolution, but the struggle is endlessly compelling.
    All this publication's reviews
  27. Dusted Magazine
    80
    The good news is that Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is Spoon's best record in a while - if you liked "Gimme Fiction," you'll probably like this too.
  28. Q Magazine
    80
    There is no waste here. [Sep 2007, p.96]
    All this publication's reviews
  29. Under The Radar
    70
    While the band's attempt to branch out and modify their approach is admirable, some of Ga's nonsense causes the record to fall just short of being the accomplishment of which the band has long been capable. [Summer 2007, p.84]
    All this publication's reviews
  30. NOW Magazine
    60
    It's not the best album of Spoon's career, but it's far from a misstep.
  31. The Guardian
    60
    The album has an energy both attractive and intimidating.
  32. BBC collective
    60
    Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga sees Britt Daniels channelling his persecution complex into more piano-driven 60s pop songs, screaming "Don't make me a target!" at the heavens as his girlfriend walks out. His band prove surprisingly versatile.
  33. Paste Magazine
    60
    While any given song on the album contains a memorable melodic passage or a compelling idea, some of them are more mixed in their results.
  34. Blender
    60
    Despite Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga's adventurousness, it's highest points end up being the most conventional. [August 2007, p.112]
    All this publication's reviews

Awards & Rankings

20
#20 Best Album of 2007
39
#39 Most Discussed Album of 2007
46
#46 Most Shared Album of 2007

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 180 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 162 out of 180
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 180
  3. Negative: 5 out of 180
  1. j30
    Aug 15, 2011
    10
    Perfect pop rock album. The day I bought this album I listened to this four times in a row. I was mesmerized by the simplistic, intoxicatingPerfect pop rock album. The day I bought this album I listened to this four times in a row. I was mesmerized by the simplistic, intoxicating songs from beginning ("Don't Make Me a Target") to end ("Black Like Me").… Full Review »
  2. zdlitchman
    Jul 31, 2016
    10
    The cohesiveness of the album, its open and intimate aesthetic, and the consistent quality all throughout this album make it a true indie rockThe cohesiveness of the album, its open and intimate aesthetic, and the consistent quality all throughout this album make it a true indie rock classic. While some may say that Spoon's best is "Kill the Moonlight" or "Girls Can Tell", it's really this album that is their finest.… Full Review »
  3. normankant
    Dec 28, 2015
    9
    A great pop rock album, full of ideas, catchy melodies and great arrangements. The production is great, with a nice vintage vibe that is neverA great pop rock album, full of ideas, catchy melodies and great arrangements. The production is great, with a nice vintage vibe that is never too invasive.… Full Review »
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