Built to Spill
There Is No Enemy
I recently told the story of how I discovered Built to Spill. Since that discovery, I've relished the musical magic of albums that came before Keep it Like a Secret and fell deeply in awe of You In Reverse. Doug Martsch returns with the followup this week, There is No Enemy. I got an advance of this late last week and have listened to it from beginning to end once and have picked my way through it a time or two since.
I like what I've heard so far. It has the familiar BTS sound. I haven't gotten to explore the songs or textures carefully enough to tell you about the ways they've expanded, evolved, or changed. The basic blueprints of previous BTS albums are evident: Martsch has a distinctive voice that sounds like a cross between Shannon Hoon and Neil Young and he's a fantastic guitar player. The ballad "Life's a Dream" has been the first song to emerge from the pack for me. Each time I listen to the album, it rises above the rest. I'm sure others will, too, in time. We'll come back to this one. In the meantime, Mark Saleski has the goods on it.
Here's the full rundown:
Air
Love 2
Michael Bublé
Crazy Love
Built to Spill
There Is No Enemy
Brandi Carlile
Give Up the Ghost
Toby Keith
American Ride
Osso
Run Rabbit Run
Tokio Hotel
Humanoid
Kurt Vile
Childish Prodigy
Brian Auger
Definitely What!/Open
Backstreet Boys
This Is Us
Backstreet Boys
This Is Us [Bonus DVD]
Bad Lieutenant
Never Cry Another Tear
Lou Barlow
Goodnight Unknown
Black Hollies
Softly Towards the Light
Karl Blau
Zebra
Blue Collar Comedy Tour
The Best of Blue Collar Comedy
Luke Bryan
Doin' My Thing
Joe Budden
Escape Route
D.L. Byron
This Day and Age
Califone
All My Friends Are Funeral Singers
Rosanne Cash
The List
Exene Cervenka
Somewhere Gone
Riccardo Chailly
Mendelssohn Discoveries
Sarah Chang
Bruch, Brahms: Violin Concertos
Ray Charles
The Spirit of Christmas [Remastered] [Bonus Track]
The Clientele
Bonfires on the Heath
Article comments
1 - R.P.M.
Shocked they are still around or at least selling, hard to make money without touring these days though, too many crooks stealing music...anyhow good indie band, no GREAT indie band. I guess it's not the same since Mark died though, that guy was golden, horrible loss to the music world and I am sure those who knew him best. He made some awesome music along the way and this is def. worth a look if you like something that isn't Kings of Leon or Paramore and you want something a lot smoother, darker and certainly different. No one has come really too close to replicating the Morphine sound.
I am pretty sure he just had a two string bass and those vocals were like... :)
If you like music from the mid 90s, when Ben Harper was acoustic and Jeff Buckley was still alive you will love this (though not exactly like those bands, unique like them in their own way...throw the bands Seam, Soul Coughing and Slint in the mix while you're at it).
2 - R.P.M.
Also didn't see this, but Built to Spill, with or without cello (I prefer with) is still one of the greatest indie rock bands of all-time. I can't vouch for this album, but if you want to start off right grab their first two albums, "Ultimate Alternative Wavers" featuring the song of the same name as the band that has some great lyrics and some amazing tunes.
And also one of my favorite albums ever not a song on here misses, their sophomore release "There's Nothing Wrong with Love". Doug knows how to write songs and work bend notes like no other.
3 - R.P.M.
Also I got a press release from some where not Blogcritics that said one of the Backstreet Boys has Swine Flu...bizarre, bizarre.