SPOON
Transference
Merge
Rating: 
In some fields consistency is a good thing: baseball, say, or brain surgery. But it’s rarely valued in rock ’n’ roll, where most bands boom and bust at lightning speed. Allow us to present Spoon as a counterpoint: The Texas quartet has been the most consistent band of the decade, with a near-flawless catalog of fuzzy, fascinating, R&B-kissed indie rock. Album No. 7 is another winner, dabbling in psychedelic folk (“The Mystery Zone”), Kinks-style pop (“Trouble Comes Running”), and hauntingly funky soul (“Who Makes Your Money”). In a genre of hares, it always pays to keep an eye on the tortoise.
