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| | There Is No Enemy | | | Music Artist : | | Built to Spill | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | WEA/Reprise | | Release Date : | | 2009-10-06 | | Store Price : | | $13.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $11.99 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
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CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. Aisle 13
2. Hindsight
3. Nowhere Lullaby
4. Good Ol' Boredom
5. Life's A Dream
6. Oh Yeah
7. Pat
8. Done
9. Planting Seeds
10. Things Fall Apart
11. Tomorrow
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Other Artist Albums
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 Disappointing return
Submitted on: 2009-11-20 |
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| Having been a fan of Built to Spill for about 10 years now, I couldn't wait to get this album when I heard it was released. Normally, I would listen to albums before I buy, but being a fan, why would I need to right? Well perhaps I should have done in this case. Don't get me wrong, there are some good quality songs on there, but then again, there are some songs which I wonder "Why?" Starting with Aisle 13, it takes us back to the glory of 'Keep it Like a Secret' with nice touches to the little guitar things that Doug does so well. "Nowhere Lullaby" is a great slow song, which reminds me of clouds drifting by. Then "Good Ol' Boredom" hits...which to me doesn't quite sound BTS. Sounds a little more constructed and less of the raw, inspiring and improv song writing and guitar playing I would expect from BTS. The album has a mix of slow and fast songs, from "Life's a Dream" to the rather boring 'punk' style "Pat". I know that many people did not always enjoy "Ancient Melodies of the Future" or "You In Reverse", but this album is struggling to keep me enthused about wanting to hear more from Built to Spill in the future. There just isn't enough 'hooks' to keep me listening to the album. I aim to persist, and I think it can be worthwhile to persist listening to this, but I would recommend listening to it first before you buy. |
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 Aint it Strange
Submitted on: 2009-11-18 |
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| Yes, it is strange that a band as talented and valuable like BTS can come back with great album as a follow up to a dissapointing one which in my eyes was "You In Reverse". I just couldnt relate to that record no matter how many times I listened to it. I thought it was way to forced and alot of the beauty that BTS presents was sacrificed in its making. I dont know, maybe others will dissagree. I am soooo relieved and exited that BTS is again doing what they were doing 10 years ago when they drew me in and thats produce achingly beautiful melodies. But....it's not re-hash, not by any stretch, everything is fresh and new. Its not a 5 Star album like a Keep It Like a Secret or PFNO, those were different times and that stuff was pretty much genius. Enemy is just a good album that my guess is, should please longtime fans and newbies alike. Songs like "Aisle 13", "Hindsight" and "Tomorrow" are as strong as anything they have done. Aisle 13 has been stuck in my head for about 2 weeks now, that riff is crazy fun. "Good Ol Boredom" is a song that I never expected to hear from a band like BTS but it reminds me of alot of other bands I have always enjoyed. "Tomorrow" is one of the best album ending songs ever, its like all the BTS brilliance rolled up and presented as one song. Wierd thing is that I get the same vibe from listening to "Tomorrow" that I get whenever I hear the Beatles 'The End". That kinda... "BTS has just left the building" feeling. If thats the case , they go out on a high in my books. If I'm wrong , look for good things going forward. |
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Fresh and relevant after all these years
Submitted on: 2009-11-15 |
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Built to Spill returns with a seventh LP that sounds serene, tight and rich in melody. Although there is no reiterative stridence the amazing guitars are omnipresent to offer a solid return after five years of absence. The bearded fellows are not really exploring new territories here; they seem content with the road they have walked so far and are indulging in flashbacks of a glorious past.
Good ol' boredom does not live up to its name and offers instead a mix of banging drums and the distinctive Doug Marstch guitar and vocals soaring in the over six minutes it lasts. Oh yeah and Life's a dream follow the same pattern of delivering majestic, simple tunes with a cadence that would otherwise be lethargic. Things fall apart is a perfect reminder of what brought them where they stand now. The inclusion of trumpets right in between spacey guitar solos makes up for a memorable track.
Tomorrow closes with a spine-chilling opus where lines like It's wonderful and scary / knowing what's alive... that's what makes me wanna never die morph their denotative meaning to resume the entire vibe of the album. No hidden meanings, no heartbreaking memories, just music, laid back and powered by an inherent drive.
Marstch has conceded in a recent interview saying that this is a collection of previously rehearsed songs and not the fruit of a recording session per se. Judging by the quality of the tracks we would venture to say they have a kick-ass time jamming.
That's where the real genius of a band not looking to sound current or impress anyone beyond themselves lies; following up two of the best indie records of the past decade can be a daunting task but in this case the campiness becomes familiar and the familiar becomes intimate within seconds. There is nothing else one could ask from them. |
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 Life ain't nothing but a dream
Submitted on: 2009-11-10 |
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Another great album by Built To Spill. They're essentially the same as they were on their best years, when they released "Keep It Like A Secret". However, there is some difference. I don't know about the others, but I felt like their music was less aggressive, more spiritualized. Even the title of the album "There Is No Enemy" implies that they stopped fighting, sat down and gave all of themselves into this album.
Thus some might say that this album is boring, however, the band was aware that this time they're doing more slower and soulful songs than ever before. So if the songs "Oh Yeah" and "Done" are pretty slow, then between them there's "Pat", which probably is the most aggressive song of the album. What I also liked is that songs vary in their length. For example, in "Perfect From Now On" they recorded songs of pretty much same length and for that reason the album was a little bit too monotonic. In "There Is No Enemy" there is no such problem. "Things Fall Apart" perhaps is one of their greatest tracks ever. Really good.
In general, this album is great, some pure indie rock music, worth every cent.
Key tracks:
- Hindsight
- Nowhere Lullaby
- Life's A Dream
- Oh Yeah
- Done
- Things Fall Apart |
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New to BTS
Submitted on: 2009-11-08 |
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I remember hearing these guys at the height of the PAVEMENT era and I guess I was too in love with PAVEMENT to appreciate what they were doing.
Bought this on LP, just because it was available on LP. Thought I would give them a try. Now I am wishing I had not taken so long. It seems it is no longer available from AMAZON on LP.
This is a great record. Craft, musicianship, thoughtful composition and arrangements; its invention does not slap you in the face, even though the record is likable on first listen, only with repeated listening does it reveal how good it is.
Its been a long time since I bought a record I MUST listen to everyday, all the way through. The record has been in my possession ten days and it has become an old friend.
The recording quality is just fine (since they were a few comments saying the recording was something less than good).
One has to love a band who evokes ENO, Magazine, and Roxy Music in one song. I am now a fan. |
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