REVIEW: Built to Spill, Keep it Like A Secret (Warner Bros.)
- Kerwin So
The top 5 things everyone else has said about Built to Spill this time around:
1) This album represents the first time Built to Spill has recorded with the same lineup that played on the previous album (1997's brilliant Perfect from Now On). Main Spiller Doug Martsch has finally decided to forego his ongoing policy of voluntarily rotating band members, originally implemented to assure a different sound on each record.
2) The songs are shorter this time around, not "sprawling" like on the aforementioned Perfect.
3) This shorter length recalls the bouncier pop of 1994's There's Nothing Wrong with Love, although the songs sound like a cross between that album and Perfect.
4) Doug Martsch is really not concerned with record sales, although his label (Warner Brothers) is, particularly since Built to Spill's last release on Warner didn't do as well as expected. Thus the major publicity push this time around.
5) The song "You Were Right" re-hashes some of the better-known cliches from yesteryear's dinosaur rock songs ("You were right when you said all that glitters isn't gold/ You were right when you said we're all just bricks in the wall," etc.).
The top 5 things Kerwin has to add:
1) Let us not forget the talents of producer Phil Ek, who has worked with the band since There's Nothing Wrong with Love. He makes Doug's background vocals sound positively angelic on tracks like "Else" and "Center of the Universe."
2) Is Doug the "Great White Hope" of indie-rock? Is indie-rock dead? Do we really care, when a band like Built to Spill consistently releases brilliant albums abounding with well-structured songs, replete with tasteful solos and profoundly simple lyrics? No, we need merely be grateful.
3) This album will definitely sell more copies than Perfect From Now On. The shorter song length, poppier song structure and deft production all add up to -- gasp! -- a radio-ready sound. Next thing you know, Built to Spill will land a primo soundtrack spot for some Warner Bros. cash cow flick. You heard it here first.
4) "You Were Right" is probably the only misstep of the album, wherein Mr. Martsch (rather fittingly) brandishes a cock-rock guitar wail in order to complement his rehashing of classic rock cliches. This song more than any other illustrates the influence that classic rock has had on Built to Spill.
5) Doug really isn't concerned with record sales, as one can gather by reading or listening to any interview with him. A man who writes lyrics like "This history lesson doesn't make any sense in any less than ten thousand-year increments" certainly understands his place in the universe.
The top 5 reasons (ie. songs) to buy Keep it Like A Secret:
1) "Else"
2) "Temporarily Blind"
3) "The Plan"
4) "Center of the Universe"
5) "Sidewalk"
