With Ancient Melodies of the Future, Built to Spill expand on the big sound that they crafted with Keep It Like a Secret. Like their Northwestern peers Modest Mouse, Built to Spill anachronistically create indie rock that can be played in arenas. "In Your Mind," with its Far Eastern guitar lines and thumping beat, beautifully updates "Tomorrow Never Knows" for the guitar rock set. "Alarmed" spirals into a satisfying guitar and keyboard noise jam, while "Trimmed and Burning" brings a dark "Sunday Bloody Sunday"-era U2 grandiosity to the band's usual jangle pop. "Happiness" is like a speeding car -- it has the intensity, rush, and twanging swagger of an automobile race. The following song, "Don't Try," unleashes a full-on assault of melancholy guitar whine in a validation of life and experience where Doug Martsch repeats matter of factly, "and everyone goes on and on." The album closes with "The Weather," a shimmering love song that begins with a resonant acoustic guitar. The narrator describes being "outside in the cool night, and the stars gravitate towards you." These few lyrics are a fitting description of Built to Spill, a band that goes on and on, always changing, always moving forward, but somehow always staying the same -- familiar and comforting -- as they carry the ancient melodies of personal histories, theirs and yours, into the future.
I was in my local branch of Borders on Saturday looking through 'The Great Rock Discography' and found myself at the page for Death Cab for Cutie. The author - despite a penchant for superlatives and misspellings (but then who am I to talk? If I ever start a band, the first album will be called 'Superlatives and Misspellings') - listed Death Cab as 'a cross between Modest Mouse and Built To Spi...
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Yesterday's post idea was borrowed from killa, and today's was inspired by fiercek. I guess I'm not having a very original week. I blame the Valium. (My wisdom teeth were yanked a couple days ago). I started thinking about love songs, and what my favorites are. Here's a list, in alphabetical order, of my current top 14.Built To Spill - The WeatherDeath Cab For Cutie - Title TrackEarlimart - Hea...
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I was in my local branch of Borders on Saturday looking through 'The Great Rock Discography' and found myself at the page for Death Cab for Cutie. The author - despite a penchant for superlatives and misspellings (but then who am I to talk? If I ever start a band, the first album will be called 'Superlatives and Misspellings') - listed Death Cab as 'a cross between Modest Mouse and Built To Spi...
More >
Yesterday's post idea was borrowed from killa, and today's was inspired by fiercek. I guess I'm not having a very original week. I blame the Valium. (My wisdom teeth were yanked a couple days ago). I started thinking about love songs, and what my favorites are. Here's a list, in alphabetical order, of my current top 14.Built To Spill - The WeatherDeath Cab For Cutie - Title TrackEarlimart - Hea...
More >
Sorry I took so long. You can come back from your libraries, your ultimate source for intellectual stimulation has returned! Felt like posting another "review" of a show I went to in gainesville florida recently. Built to Spill was there with the meat puppets and helvetia. sadly, I could not arrive in time to see either opener but I made it midway into bts's set. and what a set. it was quite......
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Strange |
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| 2 The Host |
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| 3 In Your Mind |
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| 4 Alarmed |
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| 5 Trimmed and Burning |
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| 6 Happiness |
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| 7 Don't Try |
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| 8 You Are |
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| 9 Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss |
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| 10 The Weather |
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© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
 "Ancient Melodies of the Future")
