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Description
Spoon's *Hot Thoughts* (2017) arrives as a calculated evolution rather than a reinvention, marking the ninth studio album from the Austin-based quartet. Following 2014's *They Want My Soul*, which had already signaled a certain soulful openness, *Hot Thoughts* leans further into electronic textures and dance-punk rhythms under the production of Dave Fridmann-the same psychedelic purveyor of indie psych magic who's treated bands like Sonic Youth and Pavement. This is their first release without Eric Harvey, a multi-instrumentalist who quietly departed after the *They Want My Soul* tour concluded, though his absence is barely felt amid the album's expansive sonic palette.
The record hovers between Spoon's well-worn indie rock formula and newfound electronic curiosity, never quite committing fully to either side-which makes it all the more interesting. *Pitchfork*'s Jillian Mapes noted they "stay in their well-earned lane but tweak the formula just enough," adding downbeat electronics, funkier rhythms, and two five-minute instrumentals that close the record. Tracks like "Can I Sit Next to You" and "Do I Have to Talk You Into It" prove they remain masters of punchy, vaguely catchy songs, while "Pink Up"-featuring Sharon Van Etten's ethereal vocals on certain tracks-drowns in hazy production and eerie strings, occasionally teetering on Radiohead-esque shoegaze territory.
By 2017, Spoon had accumulated over two decades of sonic refinement, and *Hot Thoughts* reflects that maturity in its willingness to embrace maximalism without abandoning restraint. They're not attempting to alter the course of your existence (frontman Britt Daniel would smirk at that), but their hyper-specific details-"coconut milk, coconut water/You still like to tell me they're the same"-still manage to seep into the subconscious. The album's Metacritic score of 82 out of 100 reflects critical appreciation, even if some reviewers found it a bit unsure of its identity. It's the most electronic Spoon album, yet they're caught slightly between who they used to be and where they're going-a tension that makes the songs compelling, if occasionally uneven. The title track "Hot Thoughts" itself is a curious experiment, jittery energy undermined by surface-level observations about a sexy girl, while the closing instrumental "Us" returns to a dark motif with saxophone and bells before fading out like a moody jazz coda.
*Hot Thoughts* remains a quietly confident statement from a band that's always been about small-stakes living and career longevity. It's their "electronic album," or at least a significant step in that direction, though they're never quite fully convinced it needs to be anything more than a Spoon record with new little twists. The album's legacy endures precisely because it respects their formula enough to not fundamentally alter it, while exploring enough new territory to remain engaging. For fans of indie rock, alternative dance, and that particular brand of art pop that treats electronic textures as another color on the palette, it's essential listening.
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