Artist bio

Try and think of a legendary rock album that excels in its dullness. I've been trying to come up with one for a while and I can't think of many that get my juices flowing. A few jam-oriented bands have lulled me to bed in the past, but I attribute that more to my chemical intake rather than any album's lack of titillating tunes.

What else then?

Well, most of the Windham Hill catalog is pretty boring. But I wouldn't really classify George Winston's Autumn as a rollicking barnburner. In fact, most of the "legendary rock albums" have earned the classification by encouraging folks to do anything but yawn. Boredom just isn't a common goal amongst rock history's most notable performers.

That's probably why I think Built To Spill's Ancient Melodies Of The Future, is destined to collect dust bunnies in my CD rack. It's not that the music is bad, per se, it's just not very interesting. All the basic elements of the last three BTS albums are present: multi-layered guitar parts, catchy hooks, and whiny but somehow enjoyable vocals. The old pieces are there, but the band's muse seems to have vanished.

It's as if Built To Spill made this record the way the Commies used to make buildings in the Eastern Bloc, placing prefab slabs on top of one another in hopes that folks would just learn to love it. And like one of those buildings, this album serves its purpose in a very uninspiring way. It works but it's not pretty and it's not fun.

The opening song "Strange" staggers out of the speakers, with a nifty guitar progression that quickly catches your attention but somehow loses it all the faster. The more deliberate second track, "The Host" sounds like an outtake from the group's unrivaled major label debut Perfect From Now On, swaying back and forth between open chords, lulling the listener into hypnosis. Between the ending of the fourth song, "Alarmed," and the ending of the fifth song, "Trimmed And Burning," I start to nod my head a bit, but I am back to nodding off by the next song. And once I reach the end of the 10th and final song, all I can say is, "That's it? Did I miss something?"

And after two months of searching, I can fairly say I did not.

Built To Spill set listener expectations pretty high after There's Nothing Wrong With Love and Perfect From Now On, two very different albums that couldn't help but be adored by rock lovers. With the first, BTS prospered with candy-coated grunge-tinged tunes. And with latter, the band improved on its own formula by implanting heavy riffs and intense jamming into their already original blend of pop.

Most recently, Built to Spill scaled back its jams on the exceptionally accessible Keep It Like A Secret. While it might not be as strong as its two predecessors, Secret has its fair share of memorable tracks, including the eternally enjoyable "Carry The Zero."

There's no "Carry The Zero" here. And there is no "Car" or "Kicked It In The Sun" or even "Sidewalk." Ancient Melodies doesn't have one song that inspires you to play it the moment it pops in your head (or mention it in a review the moment you write it). It doesn't have any songs that make you love rock and roll again. Or love rock and roll at all.

Then again, it doesn't have any songs that make you cry, "My god, why hast thou forsaken my eager ears?" Not all hope has been lost for our friends in Built To Spill. I am quite confident they will return to form sooner or later. But until then, I am equally sure my copy of Ancient Melodies will rest safely in its jewel case.

BEN FRENCH | Ben founded NATN in the winter of 1998-1999 with fellow IU alums Troy Carpenter and Jonathan Cohen. During the day time, he's working for Nielsen Business Media, publisher of Billboard. Ben's favorite acts include Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, Sonic Youth, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys.