They Want My Soul
by Spoon
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 145 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 134 out of 145
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 145
  3. Negative: 6 out of 145
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  1. skwm
    Aug 25, 2014
    6
    Okay, first: anyone who says this is better than Kill the Moonlight or Girls Can Tell needs to have his or her head examined.

    I've been listening to Spoon for a long time. At this point in their career they're obviously exploring new territory. To be honest, the strongest tracks on this album are the ones that sound like pre-Transference Spoon. On the whole, this album is forgettable.
  2. Vampire25
    Sep 7, 2014
    6
    Spoon's an ever-evolving quintet that consistently proves time and time again, with each preceding record, they're a band you can count on. By count on, I mean they've yet to make anything less than exceptional. With "They Want My Soul", Spoon's sound seems tighter, very slick in it's style of production. This is their cleanest sounding record to date. Might obviously have to do with themSpoon's an ever-evolving quintet that consistently proves time and time again, with each preceding record, they're a band you can count on. By count on, I mean they've yet to make anything less than exceptional. With "They Want My Soul", Spoon's sound seems tighter, very slick in it's style of production. This is their cleanest sounding record to date. Might obviously have to do with them changing their record label and adding a new keyboardist, Alex Fischell, but to a fault this might feel like too much a good thing. I'm more a fan of Spoon sounding, for lack of a better term, unhinged. Britt's crunchy guitars are here, but never do they sound off-kilter, which some may enjoy but personally I'd choose Kill The Moonlight, Gimme Fiction, or Transference any day for this reason alone. These records in particular because they almost have this sense of improvisation, as if they're making a song for the first time in the studio and it gets put directly onto the album. They Want My Soul effectively sounds like the opposite of that. Not to say that any of this is terrible, or even a bad thing; I understand they're expanding their sound, but this sudden lack of raw aesthetic that I typically adore from Spoon is now gone, it just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

    All In All, there are some highlights that need not go un-listened. "Inside Out"' showcases keyboardist Alex's great potential in future Spoon records. "Rainy Taxi" has a very punchy guitar lead, colorful songwriting. "Rent I Pay" sounds like classic Spoon. If only, and I repeat, IF ONLY... they stayed on Merge records. This album maybe would've been one of Spoon's best. B-    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

91
#91 Best Album of 2014
55
#55 Most Discussed Album of 2014
69
#69 Most Shared Album of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 42 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 42
  3. Negative: 0 out of 42
  1. Classic Rock Magazine
    Dec 17, 2014
    70
    They Want My Soul has a spiky, timeless quality, and frontman Britt Daniel's sharply wry lyrics add a nicely acidic edge to the sweetness of their melodies. [Oct 2014, p.91]
  2. cokemachineglow
    Sep 10, 2014
    80
    The tone is set: They Want My Soul gives pleasures immediate and unlocked, a freshly bitten peach dribbling sweet nectar down your chin.
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  3. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Sep 9, 2014
    95
    On They Want My Soul, Spoon’s most wide-ranging and eclectic album of its career, this isn’t a band who are settling in to their collective stride, but searching for new places entirely.
    Read full review
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