Built to Spill

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The 2012 Line-up

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Thursday Feb 23 8:30 PM on The Fillmore

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Built To Spill
Keep It Like a Secret
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It is a rare band that moves from a singular voice into a democratic chorus. More commonly, an egoist front man takes more control as fame arrives, and as he believes that fans are drawn to his personal magnetism. In the case of Built to Spill’s humble founder, Doug Martsch, the opposite has happened.

Albums now take longer to arrive because the band is writing as a team. Democracy is a messy proposition, but Built to Spill have let the process follow its natural course. Their patient work and attention to detail have paid off, as the band’s recent albums feel more earthy and rich. Increasingly, each player writes his own parts, and as a result, each musician’s personality has become better defined. When contributors like Sam Coomes of Quasi and Pink Mountain contribute ideas, they never feel like overdubs, but like organic elements integrated into the whole.

Their Noise Pop appearance marks the first Built to Spill show of 2012, and signals the band’s en- trance into their 20th year. In the two decades since Martsch and guitarist Brett Netson began recording together, the band has blossomed into a live ensemble with astonishing force and agility.

Those familiar with Built to Spill’s records know the epic sweep of this music, but in their live incarnation these compositions become much more. The five members stretch and expand their broad, vast C sounds with an improvisational savvy that is all too rare in modern rock. All five musicians listen to each other. This is not just jamming; this is spontaneous writing, with each player building from the ideas bub- bling up among them. Crescendos build, twin guitars arc into waves of feedback and melody, and the depth of the sound makes it easy for listeners to lose themselves in the dramatic tension and release. Truly great improvisers like these gents can lift an audience into a blissful, ecstatic rush of emotion. This show will be loud, and it will be expansive.

Listening is, as we all know, the key to improvising–listening not only to the ideas of bandmates, but opening one’s ears to the outside world. Built to Spill fans are thankful that they get to hear what the band is enjoying, too. When Martsch and Netson are home in Idaho, each hosts a show on Radio Boise, offering insight into each man’s inspirations and personalities, and are well worth seeking out.

KEVIN SEAL

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