7/10

Having maintained a reputation as one of the most chameleonic outfits to have emerged from the US over the last three decades, Spoon have never shied away from exploring new and inventive ideas. While usually blending their more traditional pop-rock sound with a heady dose of experimental and art-rock influences, their recent flurry of material has begun to see them park a more grizzled and groove-laden direction, leading many fans to see their current state as more of a rebirth than a continuation of anything prior. Now returning five years since their previous release 'Hot Thoughts', they drop their tenth studio album 'Lucifer On The Sofa', a record jam-packed with fun and exciting textures.

Like so many releases right now, 'Lucifer On The Sofa' was originally recorded at the start of 2020 but held off completion due to the pandemic. So these songs remain almost untainted by the torment of the last couple of years, giving them an instantly appealing agenda from the start. While it is a sound the band have ventured towards in the past, the influence of classic blues and soul remains the strong signature of their latest collection. The entirety of this full-length is almost a homage to the smooth and breezy 1970s blues-rock ideals that era produced, although Spoon make great strides in giving the aesthetic their own distinctive edge.

While it doesn't feel like they have created anything new or original here, Spoon have taken the outline of familiar tropes and produced them with exceptional finesse. There is a laid-back and easygoing feeling running the length of 'Lucifer On The Sofa', something so palpable, we almost get completely swept up with it ourselves.