I first became familiar with Spoons because, although I lived in the US, I often listened to the great radio station CFNY out of Toronto in the early 80’s. There are probably two main reasons why that led to my exposure to Spoons. First – there were “Canadian content” rules for the broadcasters to our north which required a certain amount of music be played by Canadian artists. Second – this Burlington, Ontario band produced a lot of good music that deserved to be heard! But, by far, my favorite record of theirs was their 12” disc of their popular song “Nova Heart.” The B-side was “Symmetry” and it’s similar high quality to the A-side.
“Nova Heart” to me expresses awe at some of the things man has created in this world, but ultimately takes comfort in the embrace of the universe. The instruments are a mix of electronic (drum machine, synths) and standard bass, guitar and drums. They build the danceable drama and maintain the appropriate feel throughout to perfectly complement the lyrics.
“Symmetry,” gives “Nova Heart” a run for its money. It’s perhaps a little more pop sounding and a little more musically upbeat, but definitely in the same vein. The lyrics offer encouragement that although things may go bad at times they will ultimately turn around for you. Both songs leave me with feelings of hope and comfort every time I hear them. So do yourself a favor – go to your favorite music site and spend two dollars to download these two tracks.
I should also mention that Spoons are very much a going concern. They have a nice website which includes lots of band history, news, and some free downloads of live shows.