chad8246's Full Review: There Is No Enemy [PA] * by Built to Spill
Certainly there are some bands that are an acquired taste. And, without a doubt, Built To Spill is one of them. You most likely aren't going to be able to pop in one of their discs and instantly be hooked, especially if it is one of their earlier releases. Nor are you ever going to hear one of their songs on the radio and think to yourself, "Yea, I like that." Of course, that's not because you wouldn't like them, it simply because they will never receive any radio play. To be honest, they probably wouldn't even want it. While still rough around the edges (in a good way), they've become much more polished over the years. But, lead singer and head creative force Doug Martsch's wicked experiment is still as engaging as ever.
Built To Spill's recent release, There Is No Enemy, comes over three years after 2006's wonderful You In Reverse, and it's long overdue. And, it is no surprise that the band continues with what they know best. As to be expected, it's full of fuzzy guitars, tempered jams and the general unusualness that you'd expect from the indie cult heroes. Too bad they haven't lost that tag yet. But, then again, I don't imagine that's a goal of the band.
The album starts off uncharacteristically slow for a Built To Spill album. The first four tracks, Aisle 13, Hindsight, Nowhere Lullaby and Good Ol' Boredom don't really show much inspiration. All four are meandering tunes with only Hindsight offering much in the way of musical stimulation. Like many Built To Spill songs, the real brilliance comes from hearing the live performance. Sadly, I don't think these four are going find themselves on the fan's most requested lists.
With the fifth track, Life's A Dream, the album finally starts to find itself. The song beautifully focuses on Martsch's singing talents as well as a mid song guitar riff that is simply wonderful. Oh Yeah is next and this is the Built To Spill you know and love (maybe). It begins mysteriously with some simple strumming and finishes with a full on onslaught of fuzzy guitars that are sure to excite your senses. The hard rocker Pat comes next and it's 2 minutes and 40 seconds of rock fury. It's full of hard hitting drums and fierce guitar work and it's a true gem on the album.
Done follows with an extended guitar solo that is probably the trippiest thing that band has ever done. It's easy to see this tune as an extended jam at a live Built To Spill show with the crowd loving every minute of it. Planting Seeds is up next and it's another winner. It's a nice rock song with plenty to enjoy. It showcases both Martsch's unique voice as well as his skills on the guitar. He's able to shine at both which creates an exceptionally beautiful song that extremely enjoyable to experience.
It's easy to call the tenth track, Things Fall Apart, the most unusual of There Is No Enemy. It slowly builds to something quite unusual that you wouldn't expect from the band. Slowly to what you ask? If you answered horns, you'd be correct. Certainly, it wasn't something I was anticipating. But, it manages to work and it could easily be the best track on the release. Tomorrow closes out the album with a flurry of fuzzy guitars just as you would expect from the band.
There Is No Enemy is probably not Built To Spill's best album. But, it's also not their worst either. It's a solid rock album that admittedly starts off very slow. However, once you get to the meat of the disc, it becomes extremely entertaining and a joy to listen to. There's nothing ground breaking here, so those who are Built To Spill fans are sure to enjoy it. I would also say that it's relatively accessible to those uninitiated with the band. It's not an easy album to listen to. You'll have to dedicate some time to let it absorb. As with all Built To Spill music, it's best to appreciate it via osmosis. After a few listens, I'm quite sure that you'll be just as happy with There Is No Enemy as I am.
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