CHART attack review October 2008

Evan Dickson

4 out of 5
10/06/2008 2:52pm

Canadian folk bands, be careful that your homespun references to local geography and Canadiana don’t come off as CBC pandering (like some of Kathleen Edwards’ yak-worthy yarns). Instead, let them grow naturally from the black soil of your twilight thoughts like Spoon. The sweet-voiced singer opens his album with an entire song about the Great Lakes without sounding like he’s shooting for points on Radio 3. When he invokes the land, it’s never as a button to press for applause at summer festivals, but, like the best folk music, it’s weaved into the central nervous system of his ideas. Now that I’ve used the word “folk” twice, let’s clarify something: this record is more than a nice voice and acoustic guitar for half an hour. Most of the instrumentation and subject matter are rooted in folk traditions, but Spoon isn’t above using drums, pop hooks and even electronic sounds to flesh out his poetry. The result is catchy, intimate, and inviting — as much for the mind and body as the heart and soul.