6. You In Reverse (2006)

The longest gap between Built To Spill albums is the half-decade gulf that separates 2001’s Ancient Melodies Of The Future from 2006’s You In Reverse. Largely thanks to Reverse’s brisk, bruising, Wipers-inspired lead single “Goin’ Against Your Mind,” it was hailed as a return to form, a palate cleanser for the bad taste of its complacent predecessor. About half the time, You In Reverse plays like the comeback album it was purported to be, especially the stretched-out Dinosaur fuzz-bombing of “Conventional Wisdom,” the multifarious organ romp “Gone,” and the nightfall/daybreak of closing tandem “Just A Habit” and “The Wait.” But half of it plays like Built To Spill fans jamming in a basement; they get the sonic signifiers right, but inspiration and direction are lacking. Given that the record actually was born from jamming, it’s a good thing Martsch went back to writing alone for 2009’s There Is No Enemy. The name-appropriate backsliding of You In Reverse is proof enough that — creatively, at least — Martsch is better as an auteur than a team player.