In addition to the release of this month’s Bonus Tracks 2008-2009 compilation, Spoon have kept up their monthly free MP3 tradition, posting December’s offering last Friday: an early acoustic take on Transference single “The Mystery Zone.” While most of the LP version’s melodies and lyrics remain intact here, the wonderful extended groove of the final product apparently hadn’t yet surfaced at this stage. Ultimately, I’m glad the tune took a new rhythmic direction, but it’s a real testament to Britt Daniel and friends’ well-honed songwriting/arrangement skills that their jams work so well unplugged and deconstructed. Stream it above (via Some Kind of Awesome) and download the MP3 on Spoon’s site.
Ethan Johns, Featured, Jon Brion, Laura Marling, Ray LaMontagne, Ryan Adams