Performer Notes

Built To Spill: Doug Martsch (vocals, guitar, Moog, bass); Brett Netson (guitar); John McMahon (cello); Scott Plouf (piano, Moog, drums, percussion); Robert Roth (Mellotron); Brett Nelson (bass, Moog, Optigon); Peter Lansdowne (drums).
Recorded at Avast! Recording Co., Seattle, Washington.
Whereas on 1995's BUILT TO SPILL CAUSTIC RESIN EP, Built to Spill main-man Doug Martsch used a couple of silly premises and a Kicking Giant cover to get to the guitar flamethrowas, on PERFECT FROM NOW ON, Martsch and fellow axe-grinder Brett Netson duel on tunes that could've been some of the loveliest, most inventive, three-minute guitar-pop of the '90s. Could've been, that is, without those fantastic duels. Instead, PERFECT FROM NOW ON, the band's major-label debut, strikes a balance between tunesmanship and molten-lava guitar flow.
Martsch, who has surrounded himself with a revolving cast of players for most of Built To Spill's existence, has an unassuming voice, and the lyrics on PERFECT FROM NOW ON hint at insecurities and doubts. There is no such insecurity in the music. Martsch's melodies arrive as unexpectedly as darkened fireflies, flaming brighter as they move forward. His guitar--think Hendrix/Sonic Youth eruptions not typical blues-metal ego tripping--carries these melodies on the lips of a symphonic squall that also incorporates assorted cellos and analog synths. The melodies and guitars and squalls are everywhere; you just never know where they're coming from.

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (2/6/97, p.49) - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "...Built To Spill dip into the psychedelic garden cultivated by guitar-based precursors, from the Beatles to the Flaming Lips....maintains an emphasis on instrumental passages that are short on flash, but long on atmospheric swirl..."

Spin (2/97, p.84) - 8 (out of 10) - "...Martsch's ability to avoid derivativeness,...to keep generating ideas and achieve bigness through the accumulation of small parts [amazes]. Let the pieces of this album sink in and, sure enough, you won't be able to get Martsch's sounds out of your head."

Entertainment Weekly (1/31/97, p.58) - "...Muddling around in a fog of spacey guitar, nasal vocals, and meandering song structures, they seem to stumble on melodies by accident....When the fuzzy guitar lines and pinched vocal whines mysteriously mutate into recognizable songs, the band discovers beauty in excess." - Rating: B+

Alternative Press (4/97, p.65) - 5 (out of 5) - "...Martsch is posessed with a genius for...lyric writing and the ability to create memorable and unusual songs....although its entertaining enough to appeal to a wide audience, PERFECT still contains enough personality to make Martsch's excellent vision uniquely his own."

Melody Maker (5/16/00, p.47) - 3 stars out of 5 - "If Neil Young singing with some sort of Radiohead/Seventies-metallers Rush amalgam appeals, this is the album for you..."

Village Voice (2/24/98) - Ranked #32 in the Village Voice's 1997 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.

Album: Perfect from Now On [Vinyl]
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Randy Described Eternity	More Info...
2)	I Would Hurt a Fly	More Info...
3)	Stop the Show	More Info...
4)	Made up Dreams	More Info...
5)	Velvet Waltz	More Info...
6)	Out of Site	More Info...
7)	Kicked It in the Sun	More Info...
8)	Untrustable/Part 2 (About Someone Else)	More Info...

Album: Perfect from Now On [Vinyl]
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Randy Described Eternity	More Info...
2)	I Would Hurt a Fly	More Info...
3)	Stop the Show	More Info...
4)	Made up Dreams	More Info...
5)	Velvet Waltz	More Info...
6)	Out of Site	More Info...
7)	Kicked It in the Sun	More Info...
8)	Untrustable/Part 2 (About Someone Else)	More Info...