Now You Know
Given that Doug Martsch is blessed with one of the most distinctive voices in rock, it's not surprising to find theBuilt to Spillfrontman in a familiar place on his solo debut. But this is more than just an acoustic spin on his Boise, Idaho, band's off-kilter psychedelic noise.Now You Knowis sweet and jangly, a homespun blues record made in the late hours of the night on battered guitars, in the same loose and grainy tradition as Beck'sOne Foot in the Graveand Paul Westerberg'sStereo. It's endearingly rustic--from the jagged and jaunty "Gone" to the windingNeil Youngtribute "Impossible"--and yet another reason to count Martsch as one of middle America's most valuable natural resources.--Aidin Vaziri