Built to Spill Albums (8)
'There Is No Enemy'
Release Date 10/6/2009
Tracks 11
Label Warner Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Indie rock stalwarts going back to the early '90s, Built to Spill have pleased fans for years, and their first album in three years, There Is No Enemy, occupies much the same territory as 2006's You in Reverse. Doug Martsch's absorbed and witty wordplay consistently turns lyrical convention on its head, the songs feature a parade of quirky hooks, and with its driving, accomplished backing, the band draws in a range of potential audiences, from its indie fan base to those who rock out to jam bands or don the headphones to dig into singer/songwriters. The always literate Martsch makes a virtue of steadfastness and reflection, the single "Hindsight" bemoaning those who wonder, "Is the grass just greener 'cause it's fake?" Meanwhile, the band attacks most of these songs, giving Martsch's reflective songwriting a little more bite, even on "Good Ol' Boredom" (which would descend into tedium if it were a ballad). Besides connecting the dots between the chugging side of Neil Young and the slightly warped alterna-pop of the Flaming Lips, Built to Spill continue releasing some of the most affecting, beguiling indie rock of the 2000s. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Built to Spill haven't released an album for five years, and the time off seems to have rejuvenated the band -- You in Reverse is full of fire and energy. The bandmembers play with a thrilling blend of abandon and sensitivity on this mix of accessible guitar rockers, twisting and turning guitar workouts, and somber balladry with enough intelligence and emotion to put groups half their age to shame (and by the looks of the gray in their beards, they are getting up there). Many of the songs on You in Reverse are midtempo ballads, some quiet and autumnal ("Traces"), most trippy and bursting with wild and dramatic guitar solos ("The Wait," "Gone"). All of them are quite heart-rending, with Doug Martsch's melancholy everyman vocals and the emotion (in his voice but especially in the guitars) flowing like tears from the speakers. Most of the tracks also feature spiraling guitar solos and climaxes that conjure up images of the bandmembers on-stage at an outdoor stadium jamming their beards off as the crowd goes bananas. These songs are impressive, but the album really shines on the tracks that boost the tempo. "Conventional Wisdom" is a raging rocker that rides an inspired guitar melody into alt-rock guitar nirvana, sounding like the best tune Dinosaur Jr. never wrote (although those slackers never would have thrown a chamber music-inspired instrumental bridge into the middle of a song before freaking out with an epic solo). "Mess with Time" charges ahead like an angry rhino, kicking up guitar sparks and sounding a lot like classic Wipers in the process. Best of all is the amazing "Goin' Against Your Mind," an almost nine-minute guitar explosion that kicks off the album in breathtaking style. By the time it's through playing, you'll be hard-pressed to imagine a way the rest of the album could stand up to its intensity and drama. That the record does manage to acquit itself superbly is quite an accomplishment. Though there are no great surprises on You in Reverse, it is one of Built to Spill's strongest efforts, and anyone who has followed their career knows that this is high praise indeed. ~ Tim Sendra, All Music Guide
'Ancient Melodies of the Future'
Release Date 7/10/2001
Tracks 10
Label Warner Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
With Ancient Melodies of the Future, Built to Spill expand on the big sound that they crafted with Keep It Like a Secret. Like their Northwestern peers Modest Mouse, Built to Spill anachronistically create indie rock that can be played in arenas. "In Your Mind," with its Far Eastern guitar lines and thumping beat, beautifully updates "Tomorrow Never Knows" for the guitar rock set. "Alarmed" spirals into a satisfying guitar and keyboard noise jam, while "Trimmed and Burning" brings a dark "Sunday Bloody Sunday"-era U2 grandiosity to the band's usual jangle pop. "Happiness" is like a speeding car -- it has the intensity, rush, and twanging swagger of an automobile race. The following song, "Don't Try," unleashes a full-on assault of melancholy guitar whine in a validation of life and experience where Doug Martsch repeats matter of factly, "and everyone goes on and on." The album closes with "The Weather," a shimmering love song that begins with a resonant acoustic guitar. The narrator describes being "outside in the cool night, and the stars gravitate towards you." These few lyrics are a fitting description of Built to Spill, a band that goes on and on, always changing, always moving forward, but somehow always staying the same -- familiar and comforting -- as they carry the ancient melodies of personal histories, theirs and yours, into the future. ~ Charles Spano, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Although the sensibility did show up on most of their studio recordings, Built to Spill were long renowned for their ability to stretch out in concert, where the balance between two of their most dominant influences -- noisy, electric Neil Young and noisy, angular Pavement-esque pop -- tilted decidedly toward the former's extended jams. In fact, Live's defining performance is a 20-minute cover of Young's "Cortez the Killer," on which Doug Martsch's vocal and guitar work bear an amazingly accurate similarity to Young, almost to the point of flat-out imitation. Yet somehow, the performance doesn't feel derivative -- it seems more like Martsch is staking out long-coveted territory and one-upping his way into something very much his own, making the expanded length of the already epic song absolutely necessary. It's a powerful, majestic performance that makes the preceding songs seem like a perfect buildup, and it also has the effect of dwarfing the extremely good performances that follow it. The exception, of course, is another 20-minute jam that closes the album, this time the Built to Spill original "Broken Chairs," which essentially underlines the point made with "Cortez." As for the nonepic songs, there are five other well-chosen Built to Spill originals, plus terrific versions of the Halo Benders' "Virginia Reel Around the Fountain" (actually a Martsch side project) and Love as Laughter's "Singing Sores Make Perfect Swords." What's more, the sound quality is excellent, even crystalline (for a concert recording). It's as definitive a concert document of the band as you're likely to get, and it's close to being essential listening even for fans who aren't keen on live albums. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
'Keep It Like a Secret'
Release Date 1/1/1999
Tracks 10
Label Warner Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Perhaps realizing that their time on a major label was likely limited, Built to Spill made a gutsy choice for Keep It Like a Secret, their second album for Warner Brothers. They embraced the sounds of a big studio and focused their sound without sacrificing their fractured indie rock aesthetic. In a sense, this is Built to Spill's pop album: every song is direct and clean, without the long, cerebral jamming that characterized their earlier albums. That's not to say that the album is compromised -- the songwriting may be streamlined, but Doug Martsch now packs all of his twists, turns, and detours into dense, three-minute blasts. This approach, combined with the shiny sonic textures, makes Keep It Like a Secret the most immediate and, yes, accessible Built to Spill record, but they steadfastly open their music up and breathe the way, say, Pavement did on Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain or Brighten the Corners. Built to Spill still demand that listener meet them on their own terms -- these just happen to be the easiest terms to understand in their catalog. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Perfect from Now On'
Release Date 1/28/1997
Tracks 8
Label Warner Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Not many groups would take a major-label contract as a cue to put out an album where the shortest song is still a radio-unfriendly five minutes in length. For that listeners can thank their stars that Built to Spill isn't like many groups and Doug Martsch not like many artists. Perfect from Now On manages the amazing trick of being the band's best album to this point, Martsch and company using the opportunities for larger budgets and distribution to create an album at once inspiring and quietly emotional, not the easiest combination to pull off. With drummer Scott Plouf and bassist Brett Nelson as the other core performers, plus second guitarist Brett Netson and cellist John McMahon as key guests, the result is astounding all around. The length of the songs allows the band to create uniquely post-everything mantras, blending psych trances and drones, post-punk airiness and flow, and Martsch's affecting, tender singing and lyrics into a whole. Martsch's high tones and the guitar passion here helped fuel further comparisons to Neil Young -- to pick out one moment, consider the closing minutes of "I Would Hurt a Fly," feedback peeling out over the rhythm and strings -- but the Boise musician is his own man through and through. Selecting standout moments from such a solid disc almost defeats the purpose, but many examples still deserve further notice. "Stop the Show" builds to a dramatic, but not in the least bit hammy, shift from a roaring wash to a quick, clipped pace; Martsch's vocals and further sudden tempo switches are the icing on the cake. "Velvet Waltz" indeed plays at that musical pace, McMahon's playing and Martsch's heartbreaking, lovely lyrics and singing the core of a incredible song. "Untrustable/Part 2 (About Someone Else)" concludes a simply fantastic record. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
'There's Nothing Wrong with Love'
Release Date 1/1/1994
Tracks 13
Label Up
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Beneath the wacky guitar fooling and somewhat nasal vocals, Built to Spill write great love songs, whether its bouncy pop or fragile melodies. Strings are used to good effect on three songs, and vocal harmonies make this disc an all-around winner. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Ultimate Alternative Wavers'
Release Date 9/10/1993
Tracks 10
Label C/Z
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
What a mess -- from all the sloppy guitar ramblings to the constant rhythm changes assuming that the rest of the band was barely aware of Doug Martsch's tempo swings, Ultimate Alternative Wavers is all over the place. But somehow, Built to Spill bounce off each other by using this technique of improvising what direction the sound is going to next. And with this being their first record, it's almost as if they're taking a cue from the likes of early Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. when it comes to their more experimental influences. But what keeps it together are Marsch's soulful but bleak vocals, which make lyrics like "nowhere, nothing, f*ck-up" seem like a pleasant singalong. ~ Mike DaRonco, All Music Guide
