Spoon Review - 'Lucifer on the Sofa' Thoughtfully Rocks

Austin rock band Spoon returned in 2022 after five long years of absence with their new album Lucifer on the Sofa. In the years leading up to this new record, Spoon reflected on their past by releasing two best-of compilations accompanied by a familiar-sounding new song, “No Bullets Spent.” Looking at their most popular singles and fan favorites, Spoon took stock of their strengths and distilled them perfectly on Lucifer on the Sofa, another strong rock album in a long line of equally incredible collections from the band.

Entrenched firmly in the riff-oriented indie rock of the 2000s, Spoon continually developed their sound album-to-album and expanded significantly in the 2010s, finding success with a label change-up on They Want My Soul. The first single for their 2022 album, “The Hardest Cut,” sharply surges back to basics with a killer guitar riff and raw immediacy. Spoon certainly rocks on this record, but they leave room to try out other classic sounds that fascinate them. The rock references occasionally take the sideline in favor of directness during a few strong songs like “My Babe,” their most nakedly emotional track here.

Saying Lucifer on the Sofa is remarkably strong is an understatement. With only minor exceptions, Spoon have managed to revitalize their sound with each record, and this new one follows perfectly in that regard. Lucifer on the Sofa is the most rock-oriented Spoon album in over a decade, churning out inventive songs and curveballs with each new track while adhering to a defining ethos of emotional catharsis.

Rating: 9/10

★★★★★★★★★☆

• 1. Held

• 2. The Hardest Cut

• 3. The Devil & Mister Jones

• 4. Wild

• 5. My Babe

• 6. Feels Alright

• 7. On The Radio

• 8. Astral Jacket

• 9. Satellite

• 10. Lucifer On The Sofa