I’ve been checking out “Goin’ Against Your Mind,” the preview track BtS has streaming from their Myspace page. Their new album, You In Reverse, comes out April 11. I’m really looking forward to it even though their last album, 2001’s Ancient Melodies of the Future, was such a disappointment. Sure, there were a couple of bright spots, like the Sam Coomes powered “Strange” and the ultra catchy/dippy “Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss,” but most of it sounded flat and uninspired. Doug Martsch explains at Billboard the different mindset he had recording that album and this new one. “I just wasn’t too into making Built To Spill records. Taking a little time off makes it more exciting to come back to.”

You In Reverse is supposed to be the result of a more collaborative effort than on past albums. I guess they wrote a lot of the songs together while rocking out in Martsch’s garage. The Myspace description says, “The band wanted to retain the impromptu, organic feel of their jams. Rather than Doug’s former reliance on extensive overdubs, the group tried to capture loose and live moments, letting each individual musician’s talents be more accurately represented.” They also ditched longtime producer Phil Ek and recorded and mixed the album themselves.

If “Goin’ Against Your Mind” is representative of what the rest is like, I think we’re in for another great Built to Spill album. It sprawls out in different directions while at the same time chugging along with full rock momentum. There may not be the layers of textured overdubs that make up a lot of their past music, but there’s plenty of intricate guitar interplay that give it that same feeling. I’ve always admired how BtS manage to keep their considerable guitar skills out of gratuitous wanker territory. This song has the same tasteful guitar heroics. I’ve got my calendar marked…