That's the way they get by

I wonder what Black Francis thought the first time he heard Spoon's first album, Telephono. Was he flattered or furious that this band successfully pulled off a Pixies clone?

Britt Daniel's guitar work featured the same touch of distortion, octave runs, and box-shaped power chord progressions. The songwriting echoed the quiet-loud dynamics perfected by the Pixies.

From top to bottom, Spoon's 1996 release drew a heavy influence from the Bostonian indie rockers. The mechanical thumping of Andy Maguire's bass and his falsetto harmonies were all too familiar. The track "Nefarious" sure sounded a lot like the Pixies' "Gigantic."

Everyone has to start somewhere.

By the time Spoon released their second album A Series of Sneaks in 1998, it was clear they were beginning to define their own sound. Though some hints of the Pixies remained, the songs were more original. Heading down their own path was the right decision.

The band had a fully polished and distinct sound with the release of their 2001 album, Girls Can Tell. It was an absolute gem of an album. A year later, the band has an instant classic in Kill The Moonlight.

"It's the best and most varied sounding record we've made," said frontman Britt Daniel. I listened to it the other day. People should get enjoyment from their records. You should make it for yourself. If you can't listen to it, that's a bad sign."

As Jim Eno, Spoon's "other half," gallivants across the country assisting with his numerous other musical projects, Daniel has already begun working on new songs for their next release.

Kill the Moonlight is a critics' darling and has quickly been hailed as one of the best albums of the decade, only two years into the aughts. The frontman does not disagree.

"I think they were dead on," Daniel said.

Agreed, though the recognition has given the band a little swagger.

In an effort to punctiliously describe the band's sound, Daniel simply said, "Rock band." Fair, but what about the album?

"It sounds like twelve little monkeys picking bugs off each other's backs," he sarcastically quipped.

That's quite the description, though I imagine anyone who has heard one of album's tracks playing overhead at the Gap would disagree.

Kill the Moonlight is a huge milestone for Spoon and one that will help define their future success. This is Spoon's best effort to date and those monkeys are just going to keep getting bigger.

Black Francis should be proud.

This article was originally published in the Colorado Daily in 2003.