Ancient Melodies of the Future

1	Strange
2	The Host
3	In Your Mind
4	Alarmed
5	Trimmed and Burning
6	Happiness
7	Don't Try
8	You Are
9	Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss
10	The Weather

Barnes & Noble

Led by unsung guitar hero Doug Martsch, Built to Spill emerged in the early '90s, during indie rock's heyday, and are one of the few groups of the period that have sustained -- and even built upon -- their initial musical momentum. The six albums released by the Boise, Idaho, trio since 1993 trace an arc of ever-intensifying, guitar-fueled rock that's as sensitive to the ebb and flow of melody as it is to the explosive angst a guy can work out through his instrument. That careful balance plays heavily into Ancient Melodies of the Future, a graceful meshing of Martsch's unconventional six-string wizardry and his wry, emotion-letting tunes. He's been accurately compared to Neil Young (whom he honored on 2000's Live by turning in a wrenching, 20-minute cover of "Cortez the Killer"), thanks to his brawny-but-beautiful sound, and the dense guitars and piano underpinnings of "Don't Try" make it an excellent case in point. But BTS haven't lasted so long by aping their idols, and Ancient Melodies of the Future finds them continuing to refine their distinct sound, one thickly woven with overt hooks that are never obvious or contrived. From the swooning heft of "Strange" to the jangly "Happiness" to the bouncy "Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss," the band prove they have the might and wisdom to honor rock 'n' roll's past while laying out the path for the next generation. Lydia Vanderloo

All Music Guide

With Ancient Melodies of the Future, Built to Spill expand on the big sound that they crafted with Keep It Like a Secret. Like their Northwestern peers Modest Mouse, Built to Spill anachronistically create indie rock that can be played in arenas. "In Your Mind," with its Far Eastern guitar lines and thumping beat, beautifully updates "Tomorrow Never Knows" for the guitar rock set. "Alarmed" spirals into a satisfying guitar and keyboard noise jam, while "Trimmed and Burning" brings a dark "Sunday Bloody Sunday"-era U2 grandiosity to the band's usual jangle pop. "Happiness" is like a speeding car -- it has the intensity, rush, and twanging swagger of an automobile race. The following song, "Don't Try," unleashes a full-on assault of melancholy guitar whine in a validation of life and experience where Doug Martsch repeats matter of factly, "and everyone goes on and on." The album closes with "The Weather," a shimmering love song that begins with a resonant acoustic guitar. The narrator describes being "outside in the cool night, and the stars gravitate towards you." These few lyrics are a fitting description of Built to Spill, a band that goes on and on, always changing, always moving forward, but somehow always staying the same -- familiar and comforting -- as they carry the ancient melodies of personal histories, theirs and yours, into the future. ~ Charles Spano, All Music Guide

Rolling Stone

[three and a half stars] Like the Flaming Lips' The Soft Bulletin or Mercury Rev's Deserter's Song, Ancient Melodies of the Future shows how rock & rollers can aspire to old-school grandiosity without necessarily leaving their brains behind. Rob Sheffield