Exciting and heart breaking, and original, yet familiar; Built to Spill’s new album is everything that I had hoped that it would be.  There is No Enemy is comprised of eleven tracks which were recorded over a span of three years.   I have to admit that, when you love a band as much as I love this one, there is always a huge fear of disappointment that accompanies the anticipation of a new release.  This is especially true when a band has been around for a while and they seem unlikely to produce anything that could out-do what they have already created in the past.  For the many who share these concerns, I am elated to report to you that, Yes, I am in love with this album, and Yes, I do want to marry it.

The band is still based around Doug Martsch and his usual group of cohorts (Scott Plouf , Brett Nelson , Jim Roth, and Brett Netson), but this album also features numerous other guest musicians and past collaborators.  Sam Coomes (Quasi), cellist John McMahon, Scott Schmaljohn (Treepeople), and Paul Leary (Butthole Surfers) all make appearances.  Martsch’s wife, Karena Youtz is even credited with providing “some lyrics”, but this isn’t anything entirely new. She actually helped to write “Cleo“, one of my favorite songs from their 1994 release, There’s Nothing Wrong With Love.

There is no Enemy seems much less abstract than Built to Spill’s previous work, but it is no less profound. Read the rest of this entry →