Built to Spill
You In Reverse
Warner Brothers Records
By Kim Burdges
This week Built to Spill will hit the road through March to promote their most recent album, You In Reverse. The indie rockers will be playing at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta on March 12.
You In Reverse is a refreshing release from the Boise based band. The purely rock infused album is a testament of true musicianship. While listening to You In Reverse spinning in the stereo, it is hard to grasp that it is not on genuine vinyl. The record plays like a hidden gem of lost early 1970s rock. Built’s classic rock sound accompanied by simple but poignant lyrics makes it hard to turn off. Songs like “Goin’ Against Your Mind” and “Liar” provide a constant yet soothing traveling beat that evoke images of a cross country trip in a 1967 VW bus.
The raw sound on the album, due to the concerted effort of the group not to over produce, make Built’s signature “jam” style shine, including a great guitar solo by new member Brett Netson on “Just A Habit.” For “Conventional Wisdom,” the group ups the tempo and beat for a pop-rock anthem that can be applied to the problems of the past as easily as to the problems of today: “some things you can’t explain/ Like why we’re all embracing conventional wisdom/ In a world that’s just so unconventional.”
Borrowing from reggae, soul, and pop, You In Reverse broadens Built’s rock sound into a new maturity which will continue to gain the group fans, due to its escapist sound. And if you can’t immediately grab your Birkenstocks, hop into a VW mini, and head west, this album is a nice alternative.
For more on Built to Spill and their upcoming tour, visit their website.
