Review: Built to Spill – There Is No Enemy
Built to Spill – There Is No Enemy (2009) [Warner Bros.] // Grade: C
According to a cryptic summary written by Doug Martsch’s wife, There Is No Enemy might maybe possibly be the final Built To Spill album. Whether that’s anything more than calculated hyperbole remains to be seen, but it definitely begs the question: when did Built To Spill last really feel like Built To Spill? 1997? 1999? The band has lived on that memory lane of college romances and road trips for so long, it hardly matters that they haven’t actually stopped writing music. The new stuff barely registers as BTS anyway.
Which is why it’s sort of shocking that There Is No Enemy does register, even if it’s not nearly as memorable as, say, Perfect From Now On. Quintessentially boyish and drenched in textural extras (multi-tracked guitar solos, horn sections, et al), the album both returns to form and nods at the more polished concepts BTS has been toying with since the early 00s. The sugary country slide of single “Hindsight” or the straightforward indie-pop of “Good Ole Boredom” are comfortably familiar, but with just enough shimmer to suggest a new, more soulful approach to atmosphere. And while the raucous “Pat” has its old-school, vaguely “Valerie Loves Me” moments, it’s the Beatles-esque “Nowhere Lullabye” and “Life’s A Dream” that make the album. Maybe I’m just a sucker for an “oh-la-la” backing vocal.
But don’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet: of the 11 tracks on There Is No Enemy, only 5, maybe 6, make a real impact. The rest certainly feel like Built To Spill, but only in the sense that they rely on the same melodies the band has done a thousand times before—and a thousand times better. Not the worst album they’ve ever made, but nowhere near the best. And who knows if those days will ever come again.
October 7th, 2009 at 11:17 am
I’ve heard a lot of good things about this band. I really need to get into them. Any good album recommendations?
Jimmy Stack
Cut Division
October 14th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Have to disagree.
Love the album, can’t stop listening to it.
Best album I have bought this year.
Saw them at Webster Hall in NY on Monday – they were amazing.
Am I a music critic – no.
I just know good music, and they make it.
October 15th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
I think you’re shortchanging this album. In my opinion, it is the best thing they’ve done in 10 years. Is it as good as Perfect From Now On or Keep It Like A Secret? No, but those are pretty lofty standards. Once a band has established a sound over a period of years, they lose that “wow” factor that hits you the first time that you hear them, and I wouldn’t say that this is a huge departure from that sound. However, I do think think that these songs are tighter and more focused than their recent work. Doug Martsch still has great music left in him, I think this album proves that. If this truly is the last BTS album, then they have left quite a musical legacy, and I think that they can be proud of the final chapter. Also, you’re certainly entitled to your opinion, but I think that comment about them repeating the same melodies over and over was ridiculous and way off base.