Lucifer on the Sofa
| Spoon
Lucifer on the Sofa
Lucifer on the Sofa is the tenth studio album by American rock band Spoon, released on February 11, 2022, through Matador Records. Spoon began work on the album in late 2018 after the conclusion of their tour supporting Hot Thoughts (2017), their ninth studio album. Recording sessions began in late 2019 and took place in studios between Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles, California. They primarily recorded the album with Mark Rankin, with Justin Raisen and Dave Fridmann, the latter of whom co-produced the band's previous two albums, each producing one song. Recording sessions continued until March 2020 but had to be postponed after the COVID-19 pandemic began severely impacting the United States. After completing the album in 2021, the band released the album's lead single, "The Hardest Cut", in October of that year. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
Show All-
Pitchfork
Two decades into their career, Spoon return with loud, low-down, melodious rock record almost without sacrificing any of their savory nuance and inscrutability.
-
Rolling Stone
‘Lucifer on the Sofa’ Might Be Spoon’s Best Record Ever.
-
The Guardian
timeless perfection from US indie stalwarts.
-
Paste Magazine
Spoon Return in Top Form with Lucifer on the Sofa.
-
The Austin Chronicle
By this time we're left to getting mostly small surprises if no revelations from Spoon, and "Lucifer on the Sofa" has enough endearing moments to sit comfortably in the meaty middle of the band's catalog.
-
Sputnik Music
Soundgarden-referencing summaries aside, Spoon deserve a round of applause for this one. Whether Lucifer On The Sofa will go down as the default “best Spoon album” is up in the air, but the fact that it’s even in the conversation is quite an accomplishment for a band nearly three decades old. This is a coherent statement of intent that stands as one of the veterans’ most consistently impressive and engaging releases.
-
AllMusic
A midnight ramble through Austin set to ghostly keys and saxophone, it walks away from the gravity of the past and its artifacts and toward the possibilities of the future with a mix of world-weariness and optimism that feels perfectly of its moment and timeless. The same can be said for Lucifer on the Sofa as a whole -- once again, Spoon show there's still plenty of mystery left in classic sounds, and they're still experts at revealing it.
-
Beats Per Minute
It has been said that the Devil has all the best songs, and there are bright spots on Spoon’s 10th album, which indicate that Daniel’s bargain with Lucifer can still inspire him and his band to deliver the goods. It’s just that for now, it appears to be only a strong EP’s worth.
-
Commedia
If there was one word to describe “Lucifer On The Sofa,” it would be average. While not a terrible album, Spoon sunk into generic sounds and boring lyrics marinated in mediocrity.
-
No Ripcord
Lucifer on the Sofa could be considered a more straight-ahead, minimalist affair. That said, it also retains Spoon's ability to reshape classic rock sounds and color outside the lines. When in doubt, skip ahead to Astral Jacket for proof, on which they adopt Phil Spector-like production (rumbling timpani and Wurlitzer piano to boot) along with Daniel's lyrical quirks and turn it into an unhurried ballad that could fit in an oldies playlist tucked in between Jim Croce and Bread. It's in Spoon's ability to remain so forthright while keeping their intentions a little bit hazy where their songwriting presents itself in the best light. We've never asked them to spell it out for us, especially when they're at their most direct, and that's why they continue to keep us guessing after all these years.
-
PopMatters
Lucifer on the Sofa is another worthy addition to Spoon’s extensive catalog of fabulous records. It’s great to hear them getting a little loose and rocking out.
-
No Depression
The album’s title track, a dark fever dream meeting between two versions of the self, is a hopeful, buoyant reminder of all the wonderful places and people around us, even when we don’t feel like seeing them. Warm horns and echoing harmonies create trippy textures as Daniel recounts a long walk through his home city, an escape from sitting at home among all his things. Taking us along with him like some sort of beautiful tracking shot, Daniel carries us through the muck and back into the light.
-
Under the Radar Magazine
Slower tracks such as “Astral Jacket,” third single “My Babe,” and especially “Lucifer on the Sofa,” while not quite as bombastic and sharp, are more floating and dreamy and add a touch of melancholy that achieve the perfect balance between the dynamic and the ethereal while showing off an older, wiser side of Spoon. Lucifer on the Sofa stands as proof that Spoon are one of the most reliable and entertaining rock bands around.
-
Loud and Quiet
Lucifer on the Sofa is a once-in-a-lifetime album, that succeeds in resuscitating moribund aesthetics in the best possible way.
-
mxdwn Music
Lucifer On The Sofa is one of the greatest works yet from Spoon, not only because it carries one of the most rock and roll sounds heard from the group, but it also flows incredibly well, creating the urge to keep the album playing on repeat the entire night. Spoon has created an album filled with rock and their own unique sound, an album that is not overwhelming, nor dull. Just simply splendid.
-
Louder
Its adrenalin surge is the sound of guys shedding years, channeling the rush they felt as young players sparking off what their amps emitted. Singer Britt Daniel still knows less is more, though, and the tracks are lean and pared, every stab counting.
-
Mr. Hipster
It’s a record I could easily recommend to just about anyone who cares about music, but whose ears would bleed with some of other youngster rock I might otherwise enjoy. And these people would thank my ass. Because this ain’t Coldplay, or whatever the olds are supposed to listen to these days. Nope, this shit is sexy, I tell you. Sexxxxxxy!
-
Narc Magazine
A CONSISTENT AND CLICHÉ FREE NEW RELEASE FROM ONE OF AMERICA’S BEST CONTEMPORARY ROCK BANDS.
-
Treblezine
It’s pure and mesmeric, moving in the present-tense, with a heartening groove that feels like it could roll on forever. It’s also deliberately at odds with the rest of the record and its big, wild fervor. But Spoon manage to tame Lucifer on the Sofa’s energy into a deservedly cathartic conclusion here—a proper “Happy Trails” sendoff, a time to let the embers cool. It’s a thrilling final move in an album that’s chock full of them, leaving the horizon wide open for Spoon and their sounds yet to come.
-
Louder Than War
And then it’s all over. Clocking in at 38 minutes, Lucifer On The Sofa fully embodies the adage of less is more. After all, as Daniel says: “It’s the sound of classic rock as written by a guy who never did get Eric Clapton.”
-
The Fire Note
Actually, everything on Lucifer On The Sofa is just that good; this tenth studio album from Spoon may well be the strongest and most compelling collection of songs in an already very strong catalog.
-
Hotpress
It all makes for a very distinctive record – but then Spoon have always been masters of their own destiny. Massive in the States, Spoon are far from a household name on this side of the water. This record might just change that.
-
Gigwise
One of their best albums yet.
-
Stereoboard
‘Lucifer on the Sofa’ has undoubtedly benefited as a result of the constant tweaking brought on by isolation periods, and Spoon have managed, as they intended, to create a “kick-ass” record. It may not be the instant classic it’s been hailed as elsewhere but it’s comfortably perched near the top of the Spoon tree.
-
Spectrum Culture
After a five-year break, the ever-outstanding Spoon are back with their 10th LP, which is yet another knockout. Big shocker, right?
Rate This Album and Leave Your Comments