Built To Spill are a band that have been around since the early 90s but I only got into early last year. In April of 2006 they released their sixth studio album You In Reverse. I was working in college radio at the time and to get music directors geared up for the release, the label sent a promo CD that contained tracks spanning Built To Spill’s entire career. I guess they felt that people needed to be reminded about the band since it had been five years since their previous release Ancient Melodies of the Future. I listened to the sampler and was greatly intrigued by what I heard. As I listened, I realized that a lot of the music that had been flooding college radio airwaves the previous decade had been at least in part inspired by Built To Spill. Dough Martsch’s voice is kind of a high pitched nasal croon, and I know that sounds like it would be annoying, but it’s really not. Just listen and you’ll realize that you’ve heard it imitated at least once by one of today’s flash in the pan indie bands. Built To Spill could in some senses be considered a jam band. Lots of songs almost reach the ten minute mark and a couple on their live album hit twenty. Even so, the music never gets boring. I would have to say that 1999’s Keep It Like a Secret is the band’s most straightforward effort. “The Plan” is the song that kicks off the album and it does a great job of getting your attention and leaving you wanting more of the great album that follows.
Built To Spill - "The Plan"
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