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Built to Spill - "You In Reverse"


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Preface: This is the only Built To Spill album I've listened to.

Built to Spill

"You In Reverse"

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April 11, 2006

1 Goin' Against Your Mind

2 Traces

3 Liar

4 Saturday

5 Wherever You Go

6 Conventional Wisdom

7 Gone

8 Mess with Time

9 Just a Habit

10 The Wait

Imagine Dinosaur Jr., Pavement, Pixies, and the Greatful Dead getting together and having a jam session, playing songs written by Weezer. That is what Built to Spill's latest album, "You In Reverse" sounds like. Built To Spill can't decide if it wants to be a jam band or an indie pop rock band, and hopefully they never do. It's a great album in that it manages to be both upbeat and emotional at the same time. I guess it would be best described as bittersweet. Yes, it's bittersweet, like the kind of stuff you hear in the background of teen movies. Except the key difference between "You In Reverse" and teen movie background music is that "You In Reverse" is really good. Another advantage Built To Spill has over that kind of music is age. Built To Spill are older than many of their indie rock contemporaries, but it seems to give them a sort of maturity that many other indie pop rock bands seem to lack.

The best example of a "You In Reverse" song is "Conventional Wisdom." It is this song that made me want to buy the album. I was listening to the radio on my way to school, when the DJ said "here's a new song from Built to Spill, called 'Conventional Wisdom'." From the moment I heard the guitar solo-ish riff backed by those power-pop guitars, I knew it was one of the best songs of the 00's. After such upbeat intro, choruses and verses, I was very surprised when the guitarist launched into a 3 minute instrumental jam section. This song grabs you by the balls, and...no, that's too harsh for such a cheerful song...this song gives you a big hug, and after still holding on for a few minutes, it turns on its jetpack and soars into outer space with you. All I could think about at school that day was the song. When I got home, I immediately went on DDD to see if anyone had the album. Nobody did, so within a week I went to Borders to buy it, without hearing any other songs or getting any reccomendations at all. I literally had not heard of Built To Spill before I heard them on the radio that day, and within a week I was paying my hard earned 16 dollars having no idea if the album was going to be any good, just because I hoped the rest would in some way live up to that one song. It's easily the best song, but I was still impressed with the rest of the album, and I'm really glad I bought it.

Here's their myspace if you want to listen to some songs.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=47160550

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