What I'm Listening To

Built to Spill, You In Reverse (Warner Brothers) The biggest differences between Doug Martsch and Neil Young are (a) Unlike Neil, Doug Martsch doesn't feel the need to constantly change styles, and (b) Unlike Doug, Neil Young has been a hookwise genius since the Buffalo Springfield days. So I won't argue with anyone who thinks Built to Spill songs all sound the same. But this one is the guitar album I've always hoped he'd make--rich, layered, like old Tom Verlaine or Buffalo Springfield, with a few discreet psychedelic touches (supposedly inspired by a recent fondness for dub reggae). Very beautiful. ****

Neil Young, Living with War (Warner Brothers) Speaking of Neil, here he is back with the Volume Dealers, the guys he made Eldorado (3/5 of which became half of Freedom) with back in '88. This one is raw like that, but less doomy. Neil sounds like he's having a ball being a loud garage band protest singer, so no matter how simpleminded the lyrics are they still pack a fun wallop. And a lot hookier than I thought it would be. ***½


Bruce Springsteen, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions Columbia) Bruce sounds like Steve Earle fronting the Pogues on this one, only he works a lot harder at sounding like a smashmouth hillbilly than Steve does. Pretty rollicking, and you can probably give it to your folkie friends and all get drunk and jig around together. ***½


Ghostface, Fishscale (Def Jam) Finally, someone in Wu-Tang Clan makes an album fit to bookend Only Built for Cuban Lynx. But while Raekwon's masterpiece was depressive, menacing, and of-a-piece, Ghost's is bright, kaleidoscopic, and of-a-piece. He's got amazing work out of all the producers (MF Doom!), and his narratives and raps have never been better or more intense. ****½