Built to Spill

Built To Spill

“You in Reverse”

(Warner Bros.)





By JENNIFER Y. KAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER



Five years after their last and disappointingly lackluster album, “Ancient Melodies of the Future,” Northwestern guitar rockers Built to Spill have approached a comeback with “You In Reverse,” their latest release.

Formed in 1992 by prodigious guitarist and singer Doug Martsch, Built to Spill’s deeply melodic, spiraling rock compositions were so well-received as to make the band one of the most popular indie rock acts in the 90’s. The group gained prominence throughout the decade, peaking with 1999’s stellar “Keep It Like a Secret,” generally considered to be their finest studio effort.

As an outsider to the indie scene, “You in Reverse” was my very first encounter with Built to Spill. Alas, instead of encouraging me to jump headfirst into the world of indie rock, most of the tracks on this album struck me as little more than background music. The instrumental arrangements and execution are seamless, but the reverb-heavy production establishes a clear divide between album and audience.

Most of the album is fairly chill music perhaps best suited to spacing out; many of the songs drag on far too long without significant changes in the form or feel.

There is a degree of self-indulgence on many of these songs that may appeal to the hard-core Built to Spill fan, but will undoubtedly fall upon the deaf ears of the uninterested and uninitiated.

In particular, the repetitive lyrics and limited chordal palette—Martsch’s familiar predilection for minor key resolutions is rampant here—exacerbating the mindlessness induced by long, formless instrumental breaks.

The album does begin with a solid first track, “Goin’ Against Your Mind,” which juxtaposes a pulsing bassline, soaring guitar lines and tight drumming to form a rather excellent wake-up-and-start-your-day song.

The downfall of the track, though, is the fact that it clocks in at almost 9 minutes—I would have enjoyed it much more if it were half as long. “Liar” is another notable track, with a laidback yet pleasantly trebly sound that makes it something you might doze to while on the beach.

“Wherever You Go” establishes a pleasant, folk-rock feel, while the upbeat “Conventional Wisdom” includes impressive guitar solos. “Mess With Time” is both heavier and more unique, blending flamenco-style instrumentation with hard rock.

And yet, Built to Spill does not go out with a bang. Though many half-hearted listeners may not make it to the end of the disc, those who do will be greeted with the unbearably redundant “The Wait.”

Ultimately, while “You In Reverse” has many admirable points—and certainly reestablishes the fluid musicianship of the group—the album fails to amount to anything exceptional.