Indie titans, Craig Walker of Power of Dreams and Archive and Dan Worton of Ned’s Atomic Dustbin and Spairs have joined forces to form Spoon Speaker Man. ‘The Age of No Opinion‘ : Big Pond Records is a testament to their skill, energy and dynamism, fusing Worton’s prowess as a multi-instrumentalist with Craig’s whip-smart lyricism and resonant vocals. For OG grebos and Gen X indie kids this is a is dream combo. Together, their synergy and creative output is just as vital as ever, forming a new chapter in their extensive indie catalogue.
Titular track, ‘The Age of No Opinion’ explores the effects of modern media on our surroundings, emphasising its influence on our judgement. With a lush polyphonic wall of sound, it glimmers with anthemic indie riffs and frenetic energy, Worton’s powerful percussion, kinetic guitar riffs and hazy bass-lines move together like intricate tectonic plates as slabs of sound tessellate. It’s cathartic as their mosh pits; bursting with all the buoyant energy of a Ned’s or POD track, but rooted firmly in the mobile online age. There’s little chance of ‘getting locked out when the phone rings’ nowadays, but those phone wires gave us freedom Widescreen, cinematic and rich with impressionistic asyndetic listing, Walker soulfully narrates the online world like Big Brother, black mirroring the 21st century. With insight and wit, he makes references from PWEI to Oscar Wilde in this a time-hopping indie opus. The song’s ternary structure soars, taking the listener on a rousing journey to see the virtual world with fresh eyes. A bona fide banger, it’s woven with infectious guitar hooks, pulsating bass lines and pounding percussion, celebrating their indie past whilst bounding into the 21st Century.
‘Drove me Sane‘ is one for nostalgic indie romantics, with bone-deep bass lines and soul-baring lyrics. It’s a classic, Indie love song transporting fans straight back to the early 90s; a time where their first love shared the same taste in music and band t-shirts…..Fast forward a few decades and the narrator wonders how their lives turned out. Sonorous melismatic, vocals weave between hazy baselines, awash with smoky melodic motifs and lush, haunting harmonies, the track glimmers. Rich with rhetorical questions, the themes are reflective and universal. The track is driven with kinetic guitar riffs and reflective outros hoping that the narrator’s lost love finds finds their ‘place in the sun.’
‘Midlife Crisis Man’ jangles with dark, gothic vibes, and intense slabs of sound, sliced with decades of wisdom, rich with basslines that could be heard in Hades. This is an intensely intelligent political commentary. Walker sings,” Trial by TV hung and quartered on allegations” With twinkling evocative outros it’s full of wisdom, and pathos. This is dark and hook-laden and made to break the fourth wall when the fans inevitably sing this back with wit, recognition and knowing joy at their upcoming live shows. It’s an earworm and a half.
‘Acceptance Love and Understanding’ channels The Beatles in this widescreen, bluesy, anthemic track as he sings ‘Together we stand hand in hand every Nation Every Land. ‘ Multi-layered harmonies weave and blossom. It could be the next ‘ Give a Peace a Chance.’ and is badly needed in the world at the moment. I expect to hear this song in a movie soundtrack or at the next Olympics.
‘Hail the Lovers’‘ is a triumphant track; a sonic shot of adrenaline. Sparking a mosh pit as twinkling riffs and pounding percussion ignite a soaring chorus of “Hail the lovers say it proud.” Listeners are bound to be swept up in this soaring, propulsive track which would be a dynamic addition to your next road trip soundtrack, so open all the windows and play it loud.
‘Call Your Friends‘ is full of depth and pathos remembering a trip to Glastonbury ’97 with a ‘good friend indeed’ and is a beautiful tribute to a lost loved one. The frenetic riffs of ‘Government Girl ‘ whip up a frenzy over the stylish, impressionistic staccato spoken word descriptions, dropping you right back into the 80s. The infectious chorus of “She’s a Government Girl, just like all the new radicals” will have audiences echoing the lyrics back. Melismatic harmonies elevate and give depth and texture to the track, laced with Shakespeare quotes and allusions to “All the world’s a stage” these days and ‘all our lives are a play” and echoes of Hawkins in “its a Pity that the ones who shout the loudest are the ones with the least to say,” reflecting on the narcissism of the modern world ending the track with edgy wit of, “Just Like that, I’m a narcissistic twat.” Isn’t everyone? ‘Big in Japan,’ reflects on their time in the 90s when their original band became successful. Evocative details of Gameboys Tokyo and Osaka and fast trains listeners are transported back to 90s Japan with Japanese fans reflecting how proud their Mas would be to see them there. It’s like a sonic diary.
‘Stinking Town‘ is a melancholy ballad, rich with evocative details as ‘neon lights flicker,’ while ‘The ‘Ghosts of 1000 bands ‘ is a high-energy indie banger as they mention the “1000 bands’ who ‘ inhabit these practise rooms they come out at night and play our instruments they never sounded better, more alive.” It is a magical – dynamic living and breathing track, with multisensory details of the “whiff of spliff “ and the “moody singer busy fixing a quiff.” Listeners will feel like they’ve been transported back in time in this vibrant track, the ghosts playing reflecting the dreams that still live. The line ‘when we look back it’s no longer with regret’ echoes a sense of peace with the past.
‘Hard Times’ is nostalgic, reflective and honest. Intricate keys twinkle and strings quiver to echo the emotive lyrics, ‘When you live in purgatory there’s hell to pay”. The stunning melodies juxtapose the darkness of the subject matter. Like a mosaic, making something beautiful out of broken pieces, it’s a poetic and darkly beautiful track with stunning harmonies elevating and giving a sense of hope. As Joyce said, “In the particular is contained the universal” so you can imagine this track resonating with many,
One of my favourite tracks is the twinkling, eclectic, fierce and tender Bargain Bin Bowie – echoing Bowie in melody and harmony, grounded firmly in the every day, like The Smiths but elevated by the imagination; elevated by the Power of Dream as they sing,” If only the fools could see the beauty you’ve become.” It’s a triumphant self-realisation of the protagonist who brings colour to the black-and-white world and lights up the night. The soaring chorus and kinetic riffs echo this joy. It’s beautiful to see members of this community being portrayed with such warmth grace and elegance. Bowie and Reed would approve.
By the end of this album, you feel like you have experienced every gamut of human emotion from melancholia to triumph, reflection acceptance, pathos and joy. The tracks are filled with wisdom poetry, insight-mosh-ready hooks and anthemic singalong choruses. You will have time hopped from the 90s to the present day enriched with insight, from Japan to Glastonbury, and everywhere in between, all expertly crafted by artists at the peak of their game. Full of back-to-back bangers, it’s a poetic, wise, witty and reflective album filled with pathos, energy and triumph. Mosh pit and radio ready, it’s a hook-laden work of art.
Order the album and find details of their upcoming tour here: Home – Spoon Speaker Man
