With a major label budget backing them, Doug Martsch and his rotating cast of Built To Spill members made something special with 1997's Perfect From Now On. While his previous indie releases, along with Martsch's original band Treepeople, pointed to a capable songwriter and inventive guitar player, Perfect From Now On raised the bar for nearly every guitarist who studied J Mascis' frenetic shredding, Neil Young's extended jams, or Kevin Shields layered shoegaze. Thanks to the time on their side, layers of guitar intertwine throughout, switching between clean picking and fuzzed leads, backed by an array of studio indulgences that include a cello, mellotron, organ, and more. The result is lush and dreamy without losing its bite, and a timeless record that influenced a generation of artists that none have equaled.
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