Built To Spill
Ancient Melodies Of The Future
On Sale Now
For $12.98

Since the early 1990s, Built To Spill have quietly made a name for themselves as "the best band no one has heard of." The oblique and angular guitar-driven indie rock sound of 1994's influential There's Nothing Wrong with Love especially helped the Idaho-based group foster a substantial crowd in the indie rock scene and also led to a major label record deal with Warner Bros. Their first two albums for Warner Bros., 1997's Perfect From Now On and 1999's Keep It Like A Secret, both expanded on the ideas of There's Nothing Wrong With Love. Perfect From Now On has nary a song under six minutes and beautifully showcased the expansive and melodic guitar chops of lead man Doug Martsch. Keep it Like a Secret features shorter songs but equaled its predecessor in scope; the album contains the strongest hooks and best production of the trios career, making it one of 1999's ten best albums, as it eventually sold over 100,000 copies as well. Though not the most commercially successful act on the Warner roster, Built To Spill are definitely one of the most respected.

Built To Spill's latest release, Ancient Melodies Of The Future, faces high expectations like all of their releases. I certainly hoped for great things, as the band seemed to be getting better with each album. However, I regret to report that Ancient Melodies is a disappointment. Given the songwriting prowess displayed on their previous releases, it is clear that Ancient Melodies really sounds more like leftovers from the Keep It Like a Secret sessions than a legit new album.

There are more keyboards prevalent on Ancient Melodies, which is best exemplified on the album's first and best song, "Strange." A Quasi-esque chunk of bouncy rock, "Strange" is the obvious choice for a radio single from the album and flows in a way similar to "The Plan," the sing-a-long though chorus-less opener of Keep it Like a Secret. After "Strange," Ancient Melodies really does not get interesting again until the Beggar's Banquet-style slide guitar rumble of "Happiness," a track that also showcases some quality Martsch wordplay. "The Weather" is another pleasant folky tune that ends the album, but the positives pretty much end there.

Aside from these highlights, I cannot say that this is a terrible album: it is just an uninspired album from a truly gifted band. The songs simply failed to jump out and grab me as they did on Keep it Like a Secret. The mood of the album is too steady and monotonous; Martsch's excellent guitar playing seems toned down in favor of more keyboards. I feel that Built To Spill just did not put as much effort into this release either since many of the songs are practically unfinished, missing an extra guitar line in many cases to really propel a song along.

Overall, Ancient Melodies is essentially a boring album. It is a dip in Built To Spill's upward trajectory of ambition. I definitely still think the group have good music in them; not every release is going to be brilliant. However, my expectations for the next Built To Spill record will certainly be more earthly. If you want to find out what Built To Spill is like at their best, purchase Keep it Like a Secret, which I guarantee any reader of this web site will enjoy.

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