Reviewed By Robyn: Arkells and Spoon

Arkells – High Noon

The Arkells have just released a new album, and it’s pretty good. The album is called “High Noon” and it’s filled with a variety of styles all with great vocals and even better instrumentals. From the first song “Fake Money” which sounds like an angst-filled anthem the album is strong.

The lyrics are very interesting on this record, being both political and relatable is hard to accomplish but the Arkells have managed to do it.  Every track has strong emotional content, from angst to heartbreak to lust. This is just one of the ways this album is diverse, and they’ve also added enough singable “oh” to songs that I imagine it will translate well onto the stage.

Furthermore, the instrumentals of this album are fantastic. Every track has something a bit different going on; while a few are fit for a mosh pit others are perfect for a dance floor. With dance-y bass lines, keys and drums some tracks are seriously impossible not to dance along to. Other songs soak you with amazing guitar riffs and have that rock feel that electric guitars tend to give to songs.

In total, it is a great album that leaves me dying to see the band live. I give it an A- as it is really worth buying and listening to on repeat at least a few times.

Spoon- They Want My Soul

This album is highly awaited by Spoon fans, and I don’t think they will be disappointed. The album was artfully created and is fun to listen to. From groovy bass lines and drum tracks to fun New York City inspired lyrics, the album will not only please Spoon fans but will attract new fans who dream of the city life.

Spoon’s new record “They Want My Soul” has an amazing track list with a range of music from politically charged acoustic tracks to pop-like dance tracks. They used many instruments very well on this album, from well-planned keys to simple and enjoyable guitar the album seems well put together.  All of the songs have this scratchy quality, for example the title track, which adds a retro vibe to the album.

Each of the songs cover the different topics that albums usually do: from questioning love in tracks like “Do You” to tracks that really have a city feel like “Rent I Pay”. You can almost hear the broken hear that occurred to create the song “I Just Don’t Understand” which is nice to hear paired with relentless jailhouse-like keys and raspy vocals.

All in the entire album is pretty good, and has a great vibe to it. I give it a B, as the topics are a bit predictable and there wasn’t a track that I really felt like I wanted to listen to multiple times. Not all albums make you want to listen repeatedly but it’s still good especially when you’re daydreaming about New York.