2001-09-09 | someone tell me this didn't go on too long

BUILT TO SPILL "Ancient Melodies of the Future" (Warner Bros.)

It's amazing how a new record can make everything okay....i mean EVERYTHING. It can make you treat people a little nicer, have compassion for the teenager at the drive-thru window who looks so confused...and seems to be asking you with his eyes to help him break out of there, as he tries to stay composed for his $3.26 an hour. It can make you stop your car from hundreds of feet away when you see a baby stroller near the side of the road. It can make you look at a beautiful girl like you want to kiss her...and look softly into her eyes, not lustfully. A record that makes you regret past decisions and make you want to make bold new ones. For me that new record is the 5th (6th or 7th if you include "The normal years" and the live album) album by Idaho's Built to Spill.

Alot of the poppiness and happiness on this album may be unwelcome to most die hard BTS fans but not this one. I love it. It gives me alot to think about and alot to look forward to from them in general, and also from other bands who seem to borrow from them without giving them much credit. In my opinion "The Soft Bulletin" might be the greatest album that BUILT TO SPILL never made and probably never will make. But alot of the songs on here sound like they could've been on that album, including the first song, "Strange", although it may have been considered a little to energetic. Alot of the guitar work on that tune is reminiscent of that from the mighty MODEST MOUSE who, ironically, owe alot to BUILT TO SPILL to begin with. It's ironic how bands like MERCURY REV, THE FLAMING LIPS, and MODEST MOUSE borrow alot of BTS' styles and build upon them and it seems almost as if BTS is forced to one-up them each time they have a new album. Obviously there muscic stands monumentally on it's own, but when other people out there are starting to steal alot of your fans, what else can you do but put them back in their place. After you take them under your wing, of course. When you've already shown the majority of bands in the northwest how to get a major label deal without having a gimmick, you have to wonder how long it will take before those bands create a gimmick to defeat your lack of one. So is the music industry.

Basically, BUILT TO SPILL has always done it their way, and I don't mean in the FRED DURST sort of way. Although alot of the songs here sound slightly more psychedelic, ala MODEST MOUSE, and more orchestrated ala FLAMING LIPS "Soft Bulletin", and MERCURY REV'S "Deserters Songs", basically it's another cute, thought provoking, soothing, comfortable BUILT TO SPILL album, and you've got to be thankful that they're always there for you, even if they never do another groundbreaking album, like "There's Nothing Wrong With Love". The ground already been broken. They just keep on filling it up with more love. It's amazing how they keep finding inspiration when there's nothing much else to prove. They are clearly one of the most consistent bands in existence right now.

Doug Martsch's voice has always been an instrument itself and has perfectly complimented his wailing guitars, and the deep, dense drumming of Scott Plouf, and of course the steady bass lines received from Brett Nelson. The band itself looks like one part each of three seperate bands. You would never know by looking at Martsch that he is one of the greatest musical geniuses of our generation, and you forget it when you're watching him that he is indeed a rock star, and always commands your attention, even when he doesn't want it. The other members may look out of sync physically, but when they start playing together you understand where the sound comes from with their "they make it look so easy" chemistry. When you're watching near-perfection, sadly, you tend to forget that you're watching something purely amazing.

The songs on "Ancient Melodies...." have many diverse sounds, and most would stand well on their own, and on any other BTS album. The first song "Strange" is a consistent, steady, beautiful, slightly psychedelic pop song, that could be if it's already not, a marginal hit. They don't play bands or songs this interesting on my radio stations. The third song "In Your Mind" is something you could picture Thom Yorke singing, and the rest of Radiohead destroying (In a good way of course). Some of the mini-guitar solo's on here would sound out of place if they weren't so hypnotizing. The distortion level is alot higher then i remember it being for their other albums, but it could be my imagination. The fourth song "Alarmed" is a song that could've been on "Nothing Wrong with Love" if it were slightly quieter. Doug's singing on this song reminds me alot of their older material. Alot of the sounds on that song are reminiscent of a more noisy Beatles. The kinds of noises you heard in the middle of "Strawberry Fields" for instance. Though the song kind of strays slightly at the end, it is nonetheless beautiful, and one of their best songs in recent history. "Happiness" sounds like classic rock mixed with the BTS deriven sound of MODEST MOUSE. The song just has a backyard sound to it, whatever that means. And the guitar tinkering sounds very similar to what the MOUSE would do, but again, they got alot of their schtick from BTS to begin with. And this is coming from a big MODEST MOUSE fan, for anybody who thinks i'm being negative. Both bands compliment each other just fine, and hopefully will be doing so for a long time. The simple "You Are", is mesmerisingly precious. The fast and proud "Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss" is so enjoyable! If your head doesn't bob, or your feet don't tap, then you've got a serious problem. It is simply beautiful, and is another one of their best songs in recent memory. The country elements also work in this song. And the pure pop bliss works well for a band this hard working. They deserve to experiment with any sound they want, and always make it interesting when they do. A couple of the songs here are slightly boring, but they don't drag on long enough to disrupt the albums flow. The album closes with the happily drowsy "The Weather", which makes me think of love, and my girlfriend, and thats a high compliment, fellas. Those are my favorite songs. Except for the really sad ones, of course. I really love those, too. I love songs that sound like something I would write. It makes me feel worthwhile, and BUILT TO SPILL's music always makes me feel like I'm not alone. As long as music keeps being made that is this sweet, and as long as bands who are this honest keep performing, music will be in fine shape.

Once again, besides the two or so songs that don't really make that big of an impact, the boys from Boise prove that they belong in the musical hall of fame, not just the Idaho, or NW hall of fame. Hope you get your due. More importantly, I hope you get some from the bands who borrow from you.

- premature ejaculation | tantra +