Built to Spill CEO Doug Martsch is alt-rock's Thomas Pynchon, holed up in a remote studio (Boise, Idaho) and issuing immaculate artworks when he damnwell pleases. His latest is classic latter-day BTS, a crystal palace ofrefracting guitar tones and textures, walls rising majestically above hissweet, nasal mewl. What's on Martsch's mind? What you'd expect from a dudespending lots of time in his head: dreams, boredom, life's meaning or lackthereof. Those seeking the naive concision of earlier records will bedisappointed: Most songs sprawl near five minutes or longer. But theircomponents are all about simple melodic beauty, writ large — prog-rock for pop purists.

“Youth Knows No Pain”

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”