I am using Spotify 0.9.17 on Linux, and it is blazing fast. Starts up and is ready in under 0.5 seconds. Compared to the new "improved" JS version on my OS X it is an order of magnitude better.

I can still search in playlists! And i get the Top Lists for all the contries instead of just a few (Spotify decimated the avaiable contries in top lists in the JS version).

Stay on the native app as long as you can.