Built to Spill
Keep it Like a Secret
(Warner Bros.)
Although some claim this Boise-based trio
evokes Pavement
and the Archers of Loaf, I get whiffs of Cheap Trick instead.
And as
someone who came of age when Dream Police ruled the radio, that's not a compliment.
Nevertheless, Doug
Martsch has a way with his six-string, and his band can write
a
tune, too. After I got past the power-chord crescendos and
AM-radio vocals, hooks started
emerging from the bombast, and
soon I found myself humming "Carry the Zero" and
"Time
Trap" while walking the dog. I even began to think that
"Bad
Light" sounded vaguely Archer-esque. But I still
don't excuse them for the Cheap
Trick flashbacks.
Rating: 7
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