Spoon

On the back of its scientifically calculated status as Most Critically Acclaimed Band Of The ’00s, Spoon’s scarily precise way with a song—the way its lithe-yet-ragged grooves interlock, how even its jarring bits of noise and tape-warped distractions are applied with pointillist precision—could almost be considered the product of some sort of brilliant indie-rock algorithm. But no formula could produce a sound this elastic yet singular: While 2010’s Transference lacks the instant radio appeal of 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, it’s still unmistakably Spoon, from the off-kilter crash of “Written In Reverse” to the terse, tunnel-vision funk of “Who Makes Your Money.” It’s another smart, mysterious album, driven by the kind of effortless swagger you just can’t program.

Updated 03/27/2012