Artist: Built To Spill
Album: There Is No Enemy
Year: 2009
Grade: 4.5 pretzels
When I saw Built To Spill this summer, they reinforced all the negative characteristics I associated with them. Their songs went on far too long, their guitar solos were too indulgent and frontman Doug Martsch’s over-emotive voice was like a rusty nail being hammered into my ear over and over again. Maybe I caught them on a bad night. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that they were playing a “greatest hits” set, voted on by the public. Whatever the reason, the band didn’t connect with me. Built To Spill’s music never has, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Yet, here in October, only a few months after seeing their live show, they’ve released an album that has completely won me over. Maybe this is a side of Built To Spill that I’ve just never heard before. Either way, I simply didn’t know that they could make albums like There Is No Enemy.
First of all, there are real songs on this album. No meandering guitar jams, full of guitar noodling and excessive riffage. Instead, the Boise-based group offers up jangly slices of winsome alternative rock like “Hindsight”, which is filled out by a slender little slide guitar riff and a gorgeous, addictive chorus. In fact, the choruses are where Built To Spill really earn their money on this album. The songs seem to get darker or more wistful at these centers, which throws the whole “uplifting chorus” cliché on its head. Even more upbeat songs, like the crunchy opener “Aisle 13”, seem to develop more tension whenever their choruses roll around.
I’ve also never heard Built To Spill record music with so much apparent darkness. The swirling guitar stew at the beginning of “Oh Yeah” is gloriously ominous, especially once Martsch’s wordless singing joins the mix. It’s moody, evocative and more than a little creepy. Can you ask for much more? By the same token, the album features the slow, chiming ballad “Things Fall Apart”, which lives up to its desperate title with a strained-yet-subtle vocal performance from Martsch. His usual over-enunciated, overwrought style has been replaced on this album with much more restrained control, conjuring up stronger emotions and really selling these songs to the listener.
There Is No Enemy succeeds because it’s incredibly balanced and varied. The indie rock anthems sit shoulder to shoulder with the more glowering ballads. There’s even room for a rabid little rocker in the form of “Pat”, featuring guitars that simply refuse to take any prisoners. Even the guitar solos, previously a chance for Built To Spill to indulge in formless guitar heroics, have a character and voice all their own, best heard on the chugging “Good Ol’ Boredom”. Suddenly, Idaho’s favorite rockers are recording music full of drama, stakes and tension. Now, not unlike my Yo La Tengo review yesterday, I’m the first person to point out my own shortcomings when it comes to understanding Built To Spill. I have no idea if they’ve been recording songs this good for years without me noticing. All I know is that There Is No Enemy resonates nicely with me, making it one of the biggest musical surprises for me all year.
First of all, there are real songs on this album. No meandering guitar jams, full of guitar noodling and excessive riffage. Instead, the Boise-based group offers up jangly slices of winsome alternative rock like “Hindsight”, which is filled out by a slender little slide guitar riff and a gorgeous, addictive chorus. In fact, the choruses are where Built To Spill really earn their money on this album. The songs seem to get darker or more wistful at these centers, which throws the whole “uplifting chorus” cliché on its head. Even more upbeat songs, like the crunchy opener “Aisle 13”, seem to develop more tension whenever their choruses roll around.
I’ve also never heard Built To Spill record music with so much apparent darkness. The swirling guitar stew at the beginning of “Oh Yeah” is gloriously ominous, especially once Martsch’s wordless singing joins the mix. It’s moody, evocative and more than a little creepy. Can you ask for much more? By the same token, the album features the slow, chiming ballad “Things Fall Apart”, which lives up to its desperate title with a strained-yet-subtle vocal performance from Martsch. His usual over-enunciated, overwrought style has been replaced on this album with much more restrained control, conjuring up stronger emotions and really selling these songs to the listener.
There Is No Enemy succeeds because it’s incredibly balanced and varied. The indie rock anthems sit shoulder to shoulder with the more glowering ballads. There’s even room for a rabid little rocker in the form of “Pat”, featuring guitars that simply refuse to take any prisoners. Even the guitar solos, previously a chance for Built To Spill to indulge in formless guitar heroics, have a character and voice all their own, best heard on the chugging “Good Ol’ Boredom”. Suddenly, Idaho’s favorite rockers are recording music full of drama, stakes and tension. Now, not unlike my Yo La Tengo review yesterday, I’m the first person to point out my own shortcomings when it comes to understanding Built To Spill. I have no idea if they’ve been recording songs this good for years without me noticing. All I know is that There Is No Enemy resonates nicely with me, making it one of the biggest musical surprises for me all year.
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