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Ancient Melodies of the Future
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0093624795421
Label: Warner Bros / Wea
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
MPN: 47954
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Warner Bros / Wea
Release Date: July 10, 2001
Studio: Warner Bros / Wea
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Editorial Review:
With a band like Built to Spill, the key to success is to chart a course through the future that mirrors the past. Built to Spill may be on a major label, but its linchpin, front man Doug Martsch, still writes all song parts himself and has a large hand in every album's production from start to finish. Martsch assembles the players--drummer Scott Plouf and bassist Brett Nelson--to take their parts in the studio and on tour, but he still holds all the musical cards. As a result, the Boise, Idaho-based trio sounds pretty much the same on Ancient Melodies of the Future as it did on 1997's Perfect from Now On and 1999's Keep It Like a Secret. That said, though, why change a winning formula? Martsch's mix of wry humor, Neil Young-influenced rock, and soaring indie-pop ballads has garnered him a Guided by Voices-like cult following that this album is in no danger of turning away. "In Your Mind" is the standout track, with Martsch's fitting assertion that "No one can tell me to listen / No one can tell me what's right / because nobody has my permission / and no one can see in your mind." The other tracks are tried and true BTS fare, bending guitar effects around straight-ahead rock ("Trimmed and Burning") or layering warm melodies atop Martsch's elliptical lyrics. Indie-rock fans looking for something wildly divergent or refreshingly different won't find either on Ancient Melodies, but those looking for a linear extension of BTS's past works should find a happy resistance to change in this latest release. --Jennifer Maerz
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - 7 years later, and still amazing
I've never considered myself a big Built to Spill fan, but this record...WOW. I bought it 7 years ago, and today (July of 2008) I find myself listening to it several times a week. It's one of those "onion" type albums, that every time you think you've gotten the hang of it, you'll peel back another layer and find yet more substance and beauty waiting for you.
Rating:  - Solid but not spectacular
3 1/2
From the opening Pixies lift, we know Ancient Melodies of the Future apparently borrows a lot from the recent past. Despite walking the line between predictably derivative and intuitively intelligent alternative pop rock, competent songwriting and solid production pushes Built to Spill's later work into the latter category.
Rating: - Consistent, amazing and delivers.
This is an acquired taste. Play it 20 times while you clean, work, play with friends/kids, drive, work, talk on the phone, surf the net...and before you know it you'll be thinking.....'errrrr...where's that cd, that fantastic rockin' cd.' HIGHLY recommend!
Rating: - This Strange Change in Atmosphere, but Not so Strange
Built to Spill are a band that I think are one of the better Alternative Rock bands still recording today.
Always changing and building on their sound with every release. This one, 'Ancient Melodies Of the Future' melds together the instrumental passages of 'Perfect From Now On' (their best, imo) with the poppiness of 'Keep It Like A Secret.' Although leaning more towards the 'Secret' pop formula, expanding the sound with more guitar and keyboards, like on "Alarmed."
Then five years later ... Read More
Rating: - A Quality Effort
I've been into Built to Spill for about 5 years and was lucky enough to catch them live in September of '05- Three guitars-What an aural onslaught! Any way..Ancient Melodies of the Future contains some BTS's BEST songs and they happen to be of the mellow persuasion -"Alarmed"-"words for fighting ,words for fun-they've all melted onto one" freakin great song."Strange" has a "stony summer's day" feel to it same as " You Are" and I cannot believe how many reviews I went through here and most of them did ... Read More
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