Fischerspooner - Sir

One part indie-electronica, one part performance-art, the New York-based Fischerspooner began as the unlikely pairing of a classically trained musician (Warren Fischer) and a renegade theater-artist (Casey Spooner), who first came together for impromptu performances back in the late 90’s before eventually morphing into a full-blown recording outfit.  

Co-produced by the by-way-of-Beyoncé producer Boots, and the seemingly-reclusive (at least in regards to his post-R.E.M. musical output) Michael Stipe, Sir (Fisherspooner’s first album in nearly a decade) finds the electroclash duo picking up right where they left off.

Opening with the meditative “Strange Strange”, Casey Spooner’s evocative vocals are immediately placed front and center.  The mid-tempo “TopBrazil”, the hyper-chilled “Togetherness” (which features a wonderful cameo from the indie-pop siren Caroline Polachek), and the album’s first single, the absolutely infectious “Have Fun Tonight” all demonstrate Sir’s ability to both channel the outfit’s industrial-tinged heyday while also adding a contemporary edge to things.

Sir admirably manages to avoid that dreadful ‘front-loaded’ feeling as well, with later tracks like “Strut”, “Get It On”, and the tuneful “I Need Love” providing some of the album’s best moments.  Additionally, the final two tracks provide the record with a tangible climax, with “Try Again” featuring the record’s strongest chorus and the epic “Oh Rio” blissfully unraveling much of the album's pent-up emotion.

While it’s hard to imagine Stipe in his new role, working from behind the board, his impact on the proceedings obvious; simply being in the presence of an objective artistic force has clearly inspired a sense of focus that permeates this entire collection of songs.  And from a mere sonic perspective, Sir is simply a pleasure to listen to...the record sounds amazing.

Anytime someone places a decade-long hiatus in the middle of their career, it can leave both the artist and the audience in an understandably precarious position: pick up where you left off and risk immediately sounding dated, or forge ahead into uncharted waters and hope that your audience will find you on the other side.  In the case of Fischerspooner’s Sir, the duo have managed to both have their proverbial cake and eat it too: creating a record that will satisfy their longtime audience while also updating the band’s sound for a whole new generation of fans.