Built to Spill - You in Reverse

Built to Spill
You in Reverse
Warner, 2006
Guitar solos: 9/10
Lyrically 7/10
Overall: 8/10

Built to Spill open up You in Reverse with possibly the best song they've ever written. That being said, it's hard to review "Goin' against your mind." I don't want to just explain to you what's happening here. The song shifts gears about five times, though, and each time, new guitar textures pop up, adding a new layer to an already sedimentary mountain of a song. I've never heard a guitar so emotional. I may have been drunk, but the first time I heard the opening solo, I got a little verklempt. Seriously, what a great fucking song. Towards the end, there's a bit of a cheesy verse, but it's immediately followed up with a huge "fuck what you think" bridge that would make J. Mascis fall to his knees. And that's not even the end, cause Martsch's brings some more god damn musical heartache.

Oh, and there's nine more strong tracks on this album.

After an okay solo effort in 2002, I had almost given up on Doug Martsch, and by association, Built to Spill. Martsch spits in my face like the little bitch I am, though. Not only does he write 10 great songs, his voice as well as the production is absolutely lovely. Martsch uses his voices like one of his guitars and vice versa. Each instrument is imbued with an ethereally sad and sincere quality. Drums, organs, tambourine, whatever's there has a purpose.

It all makes me happy. In addition to some great sounding Idaho rock, there are some cheesy words sang. There are a lot of themes, not just lines, that run through songs that are great ideas, as well as lyrics. Nothing quite so profound as "You were wrong," from Keep It Like a Secret was, but "Conventional wisdom" could be talking about politicians or best friends.

When Martsch sings over Sam Coomes's (from Quasi) organ in "Gone," it could be singing about nights in white satin for all I know, because the song is another epic; about fear and love and walking and I don't know what else—all gone.

Earlier this year, when I took turns driving and riding from New York City to Cleveland, this album somehow stayed in the CD player for about eight plays, straight through. It's really easy to get lost in the middle of this album. Despite the strength of each song, there's nothing like a closer. Like all great driving albums, it's open-ended. Nothing to define a standard album. Built to Spill have taken everything they love, condensed it, put it on this album, mixed it up, polished it, and gave it to me. Thanks guys, for keeping me awake and attentive at 4 AM... and again at 5 AM... and again at 6 AM.