Soft Effects January 21, 1997

A quantum leap beyond ’96’s amazing ‘Telephono’ debut, Spoon’s ‘Soft Effects’ showcases 5 new Britt Daniel originals, each of ’em a jagged and powerful suggestion that last year’s album only hinted at what this trio was capable of.

Recorded in Austin this past October with producer (and one-time Spoon bassist) John Croslin, Soft Effects is a succinct, slightly less smoothed-out version of Spoon’s punk-pop hybrid, gone further sideways this time out.

Formed by guitarist/vocalist Britt Daniel and drummer Jim Eno in 1992, Spoon released their own debut 7" EP ‘Nefarious’ in ’94. Previously, representatives of the Matador label had stumbled upon the band playing in a dusty Austin bar. Subsequent shows around the USA inspired strong word of mouth, but it wasn’t until Spoon entered the studio with Reivers/Zeitgeist founder Croslin that early versions of the Telephono sessions began to surface and the label mustered up the courage to offer them a contract.

Spoon have spent most of 1996 playing across North America and Europe, including a spring ’96 tour with Pavement, a European tour with Guided By Voices and Silkworm, and this past autumn, dates with the Archers of Loaf.

In addition to performing, recording and writing for Spoon, Britt Daniel has been playing and recording under the solo guise of Drake Tungsten, releasing a full-length cassette in 1995, followed by a compilation appearance and a 7" in 1996.

Telephono April 23, 1996

Amped-acoustic guitar + amped-up attitude and songwriting smarts = Austin, TX’s SPOON, a totally wired trio whose succession of demo tapes were shredded by excessive play... except for the one Chris lost in his rental car, we’re pretty sure that one was never heard again. With one indie 7" under their belt prior to their Matador signing, our clever executives discovered the band in an Austin bar, got the band’s name wrong and spent 20 months trying to sign DC Talk instead. While every label in America was scrambling to curry favor with Spoon’s Britt Daniel and Jim Eno, we were learning about contemporary Christianity and swearing off sex before marriage. All for nothing, too!

Luckily, the resulting album, produced by Reivers/Zeitgeist founder John Croslin (currently temping on bass too) rocks like a non-straight edge Modern Lovers. We’re completely knocked out by the whole thing...sounds like 14 singles to us (although that wouldn’t be cost-effective, now that we’re indie again).

Britt Daniel - vocals, guitar
Jim Eno - drums
Andy Maguire - bass, vocals

All the Negatives Have Been Destroyed March 12, 1996