Built to Spill - You in Reverse: Album Review

Built to Spill, You in Reverse (Wonder Bros., 2006)
I've been meaning to review more albums, but it could be the case that I end up reviewing a lot of shit no one's interested in. So you might want to make other plans for the rest of your life. I feel like I lost some of you with last week's anti-Texas+Mexico antics, and tonight I'm going to try to lose the rest of you with this review of an album I'm sure no one cares about.

GOIN' AGAINST YOUR MIND

This sounds like really weak Interpol. I mean, it's not especially different than something Interpol would play, but it lacks any kind of sonic force or cohesiveness. Also, it's really long and has a few ill-advised "jazzy" flourishes.

TRACES

This is better just because it ditches some of the new waviness, but I don't know that it's especially good either. There ain't too much going on for this to be the second song on the album. Wait, there's an amusing-enough guitar build-up towards the end. So yeah.

LIAR

Sadly, this is not a cover of that Henry Rollins song they used to play on Beavis and Butthead. That would've been awesome. How generic-sounding is this?

SATURDAY

Really short, but not in a good way, I think. Almost as if they just gave up.

WHEREVER YOU GO

Has more of a pronounced guitar focus or whatever, but it's not mixed like other Built to Spill albums. This sounds like some high school band's half-assed approximation of a Built to Spill song.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

It begins with a vaguely anthemic guitar thing, which is nice I suppose. And the faster tempo helps drown out the wackness. But then it goes on and on.

GONE

Not a cover of that one N'SYNC song that managed to crack BET, amazingly enough. Instead it has a sort of desolate, western vibe. Did all of these songs really have to have a "jam" section?

MESS WITH TIME

I guess that is sorta their thing, but you don't launch from the world's most half-assed indie rock song into some long-ass five minute jam, as if you're Prince or somebody. Save that live shit for the live show, where I'm guaranteed not to be.

JUST A HABIT

Rather slow and dreary, but without much of a reason to be. What is this about anyway?

THE WAIT

Actually, not a particularly bad way to end the album. Funny how even the most wack-ass indie albums work better as albums than damn near all rap albums these days.

COMMENTS: So yeah, this album didn't really do anything for me. I was never that big into BtS to begin with, but now it just sounds like they aren't trying. Nice cover though. It sorta calls to mind Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms.

BEST TRACKS: "Goin' Against Your Mind" "Traces" "Conventional Wisdom"