Not many groups would take a major-label contract as a cue to put out an album where the shortest song is still a radio-unfriendly five minutes in length. For that, listeners can thank their stars that
Built to Spill isn't like many groups and
Doug Martsch isn't like many artists.
Perfect from Now On manages the amazing trick of being one of the band's best albums, with
Martsch and company using the opportunity of larger budgets and distribution to create an album at once inspiring and quietly emotional, not the easiest combination to pull off. With drummer
Scott Plouf and bassist
Brett Nelson as the other core performers, plus second guitarist
Brett Netson and cellist
John McMahon as key guests, the result is astounding all around. The length of the songs allows the band to create uniquely post-everything mantras, blending psych trances and drones, post-punk airiness and flow, and
Martsch's affecting, tender singing and lyrics into a whole.
Martsch's high tones and the guitar passion here helped fuel further comparisons to
Neil Young -- to pick out one moment, consider the closing minutes of "I Would Hurt a Fly," feedback peeling out over the rhythm and strings -- but the Boise musician is his own man through and through. Selecting standout moments from such a solid disc almost defeats the purpose, but many examples still deserve further notice. "Stop the Show" builds to a dramatic, but not in the least bit hammy, shift from a roaring wash to a quick, clipped pace;
Martsch's vocals and further sudden tempo switches are the icing on the cake. "Velvet Waltz" indeed plays at that musical pace,
McMahon's playing and
Martsch's heartbreaking, lovely lyrics and singing the core of an incredible song. "Untrustable/Part 2 (About Someone Else)" concludes a simply fantastic record. ~ Ned Raggett