WERS 88.9 fm - Album Review: Built To Spill - There Is No Enemy

November 24^th, 2009

Three years in the making, Built to Spill dropped their latest release, There is No Enemy, and songwriter Doug Martsch has been wondering if this will be his last. Built to Spill's presence dates back to the early 90's, and essentially set the stage for much of the Indie Rock produced within the last two decades.

For many fans, 2006's You In Reverse was not widely received, but There is No Enemy could definitely change the minds of many people who think Built to Spill has lost their edge. It's evident Doug Martsch and the other current members of the band poured countless hours into this album, with the hopes of finding that perfect sound.

There's a significant distinction between the group's older and newer material, and accordingly, there's a split between Built to Spill fans and their tastes. Many of those who enjoy the albums of the 90's think that There is No Enemy is a new take on the same sound that was produced from albums such as 1997's Perfect From Now On and 1999's Keep it Like a Secret. However, those who have enjoyed the new direction Built to Spill has taken as of late are a little confounded as to why this new album wants to be living in the 90's. Regardless of which faction you represent, it's clear that There is No Enemy is a representation of a matured band. It has more layers of instrumentation and emotional tonality than previous releases, which makes it more than suitable for the ever-ready audience of the present.

There is no question that Built to Spill creates beautiful music that you can get lost in, but after playing the same type of music for so long being able to keep listeners interested remains a challenge. According to Martsch, "Built to Spill endeavors to make songs interesting to themselves and their audience. They hope that the band will remain special and that people will discover the music for themselves."

Like most Built to Spill albums, There is No Enemy's beauty and significance takes a while to sink in. It's not something that's listened to while doing other things; this album overtakes the listener and brings them into dreamscapes produced with transcendent guitars and drawn out vocalizations. Martsch's nasally off-key vocals have never been considered "traditionally" beautiful, but the way they blend with the guitar's multi tonal qualities is eerily pleasing. The song, "Oh Yeah," does this in a depressing manner as Martsch refutes the existence of God. However, this same technique is turned completely around by the fast paced tempo of the drums in the single, "Hindsight," which indulges in nonsensical lyrics about Canada being "paradise with pines and ice."

The major merit of this album is the variation of style between each song. They all have their own emotional tone, which, in general, has never been the case for Built to Spill. A lot of their previous albums follow a formulaic emotional pattern, so it's refreshing to hear something new in each song. There are also several guest musicians who worked on this album, adding unique instruments such as cello, organ, and horns. The most striking songs on the album are "Life's a Dream," and "Things Fall Apart." Both have relatively long guitar solos that lead into an arrangement from horns played by Danny Levin. These breaks in Built to Spill's traditional sound, along with well-timed tonal variations, bring focus back into songs that tend to trail off or seem to break out into an impulsive jam session.

Every song on this album is filled with a discoverable meaning, but not necessarily put there by the musicians themselves, something that the listener feels or senses on their own. As Martsch puts it, "The record is yours to respond to."

-By Teresa Garigen