You really need a scorecard to track the tangled trajectory established by Built To Spill, and specifically, its restless, multi-tasking mainstay, Doug Martsch. With an ever-shifting line-up of band mates, a steady string of side projects and extra-curricular activities, and a musical style that finds an amorphous middle ground between Pavement, Guided By Voices, Dinosaur Jr., Crazy Horse, REM and wide-eyed rock ‘n’ roll, getting a handle on the band’s MO is no easy task. Its better then, not to let any preconceptions about Built to Spill get in the way, instead letting each effort stand - or spill, as it were - on its own merits. That’s because, in fact, There Is No Enemy is a surprisingly accessible set, a cross between dreamy meditative ruminations and triumphant anthems that hum along at full throttle. Songs like “Aisle 13” soar with an upward gaze that also clouds over with kaleidoscopic psychedelia, ala “Oh Yeah” and “Nowhere Lullaby.” In fact, some of the tracks - “Hindsight” and “Tomorrow” in particular - could likely find a comfortable niche on mainstream radio. The uninitiated might find There is No Enemy takes some getting used to, but given the benefit of repeated listens, it could win over even the most skeptical adversary.
--Lee Zimmerman [October 12, 2009]
