It would be easy to assume that a band formed in the early 90s would have difficulty being relevant in 2009.  Built to Spill’s There Is No Enemy makes that assumption look silly.  Not only is the album relevant, but it is a fun listen, with an excellent mix of uptempo rockers, hazy atmospheric tunes, slower ballads and extended instrumental jams.

The beauty of this album, is that it is a complete album.  There are standout tracks, sure, but its an album that is more enjoyable listened front to back.   The guitar work on the album is fantastic, especially the way it plays off of the melody on several of the songs.  For example, lengthy instrumental jams can have a tendency to distract, but the ones during “Oh Yeah,” “Done” and “Things Fall Apart” were exemplary.   The band uses varied tempos and the addition of brass instruments to keep your interest throughout the disc.

There Is No Enemy opens with “Aisle 13″ and the assertion that everyone is weird.  It is a theme that appears several times throughout the album including “Pat” where they sing ‘we don’t care that you’re fucked up, everybody’s fucked up.’   That lyric carries more weight coming from a band that’s been around for 17 years, its a reassurance rather than a whine.  They also send out a warning to music listeners in “Planting Seeds” saying  ‘they play your favorite song just to sell shit to you’.  This line rings especially true in the age of iPod commercials.

I listened to the album the first few times on headphones and enjoyed it, but my favorite way to listen was in the car with the sound up and the windows down.  After a couple listens it was already reaching sing-along status and would make for a great road trip CD.