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You In Reverse
by Built To Spill
The Doug Martsch-led band returns with its first album in five years, and its first in 13 years not to utilize producer Phil Ek. Recent touring guitarist Jim Roth makes his recorded debut with the band, and Quasi's Sam Coomes returns to help on keyboards.
| LABEL: |
Warner Bros |
| RELEASE DATE: |
11 April 2006 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Indie, Rock |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
93
Filter
May be the band's greatest achievement yet. [#20, p.90]
91
The Onion (A.V. Club)
This is a real, classic rock 'n' roll record, with powerhouse production backing a set of songs that actively engage.
90
Tiny Mix Tapes
Apparently revitalized and rejuvenated after a long dead period, Built to Spill pour a glowing display of exploratory zest and energy into the confines of each YIR composition.
90
All Music Guide
Though there are no great surprises on You in Reverse, it is one of Built to Spill's strongest efforts, and anyone who has followed their career knows that this is high praise indeed.
90
Amazon.com
Positively radiant.
90
Trouser Press
You in Reverse is a tremendous record -- engaging, enveloping, engrossing.
83
E! Online
An album that does his low-key legacy well, mixing classic rock-influenced guitar solos and quaint folk sounds with psychedelic effects and high-pitched melodies that put Rush's Geddy Lee to shame.
83
Entertainment Weekly
More enjoyably organic-sounding than most of 2001's too pristine Ancient Melodies of the Future. [14 Apr 2006, p.86]
80
Alternative Press
A gorgeous set of spectral, ambitious and carefully crafted songs. [Jun 2006, p.188]
80
Under The Radar
Doug Martsch, guitar god, has returned. [#13, p.83]
80
Prefix Magazine
Built to Spill has managed to elevate rock's pre-eminent instrument to a pedestal while creating something that's both approachable and timeless.
80
ShakingThrough.net
Ultimately, You in Reverse is more a refinement than an evolution of Built to Spill’s sound. Fortunately for those inclined to guitar rock, it’s a great sound.
80
Billboard
It can be seen as a return to form (epic songs, blistering guitar work) and a step in a new direction (rough-around-the-edges production, layered percussion).
80
Lost At Sea
You In Reverse is equal parts subtlety and over self-indulgence, and its problems lie with the latter. More often than not, the stretched out jams seems to take up space rather than move the songs forward.
80
Dusted Magazine
It's not an intrinsically triumphant album, and in part that's why it's a triumph: comfortable, well-adjusted rock by and for aging erudites, a bit greyer, a bit wiser, but no less creative or inspiring.
80
Urb
The vulnerable sound that you known and love--all slide guitar and open chords. [May 2006, p.94]
80
The Guardian
It all sounds lovely.
80
Drowned In Sound
It’s not rocket science, that’s for sure, but there are tunes here that most million-selling bands would give away all of their mansions for.
78
Austin Chronicle
Streaming melodies ("Liar"), Sam "Quasi" Coomes' organ ellipses ("Gone"), and the top down, spark-throwing "Conventional Wisdom" rush head-on into the 21st century like Hunter Thompson's hovercraft.
75
Stylus Magazine
It is intermittently thrilling, the first record since Perfect to show any of that record’s gleaming promise, but it is nonetheless brought aground by some of the same problems that dogged the last two LPs.
75
Spin
You in Reverse... rejects the pithy pop of their 1999 breakthrough, Keep It Like a Secret, for spacey, stretchy tracks that emphasize their unique, virtuosic musicianship.
71
cokemachineglow
A record that progresses as a sequence of dislocated sounds, an expressionist's puzzlebox that comes alive when distanced from one's preconceived notion of what a Built to Spill record should sound like.
70
Rolling Stone
The jams here rarely sound like filler: Even the Tex-Mex coda on "Mess With Time" packs more full-bodied crunch than the average Bonnaroo set.
70
Blender
It plods before revealing its considerable sonic luxuries and melodic charms. [May 2006, p.105]
70
Slant Magazine
Without Ek's second opinion, the results of You In Reverse are mixed; some tracks rule and some tracks drool.
70
Uncut
Built To Spill's blend of expressive guitar playing and light to moderate whining plays as well today as it did when the band emerged nearly 15 years ago. [Jul 2007, p.96]
68
Pitchfork
Aside from its abundance of overlong songs, You in Reverse is marred by a lack of strong melody when compared to Built to Spill's other records.
50
PopMatters
For the first time in their career, Built to Spill have made an album that is both lyrically and musically indifferent.
The average user rating for this album is 8.9 (out of 10) based on 52 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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