West Coast Rules, Y'All




There's no justice in trying to tell you, in words, how good You In Reverse by Built To Spill is. But, I'll try.
The band is now a five-piece (Brett Netson the newest guitar player) but this album was done with a four-piece, which is one more than they began with. Doug Martsch, Scott Plouf, Jim Roth and Brett Nelson (not typo, different person) recorded this album. They recorded this album with what Huey Lewis belted out in front of The News in 1983: the heart of rock and roll.
The album starts off perfectly with the 7+ minute Goin' Against Your Mind, the first two minutes being beats and guitar. Then Doug Martsch kicks in with his voice and BtS is off to their best album in years. Of course they only release albums every few years anyways.
It gets a bit frightening on the second and third tracks, Traces and Liar, as they sound very 1980's to me, and I feel that is a decade that is best wiped out of all historic collections. Let's just pretend it never happened. Thankfully, despite the eighties sounds, the songs are actually quite good.
This band started off as a three-piece with short songs in the range of two or three minutes and has evolved to a five-piece rock orchestra. The majority of the songs clock in at over 5 minutes and they all take you on little rock journeys. Sometimes you think you've already been to the places that the music has taken you, but then there's a new bend and Martsch's guitar is off to another world. Wild stuff.
The definite standout track is Mess With Time. As advertised that's what they do. The song starts off with choppy guitar in a Latino fashion and continues to go SoCal on your ass. This sounds like what Martsch would bring out of a Desert Sessions. Three guitars and a bass can make some pretty sweet sounds with the right people playing. About half way through this song they mix up the rythm again and make it a west coast indie-rock ska/latin/reggae jam.
The Wait takes the album out on a softer edge and with more structure. It's as close to a rock & roll jam ballad as the rock gods will allow.
I can't wait till June 12 when BtS play the Commodore. That's where some of you may recognize the first track from as I distinctly remember them playing it. Oh wait, you likely weren't there as I couldn't get anyone to go and had to throw away three of four tickets I'd got free. Listen, just do yourself a favour and get a ticket to the upcoming show and save yourself some embarassment in about nineteen years when your kids find out that in the time of Built to Spill you were listening to The Killers and The Strokes. Or am I getting those two mixed up with Twisted Sister and Stone Temple Pilots? Suckers.







You in Reverse, by Built to Spill