My recommendations 2006:You in Reverse by Built to Spill

Built to Spill: You in Reverse
Warner Brothers 4/11/2006

Call me a philistine, but I never heard Built to Spill before this year. You in Reverse and Perfect From Now On, their 1997 debut, serve as my only reference points for Built to Spill's oft-celebrated career. I think that being so unfamiliar with their previous work gives me a sense of perspective that some long-time fans have lost. I have read reviews that actually pan You in Reverse for not being on par with some of their previous work. However, when you consider this album as a work in its own right, it is simply beautiful. The music is richly layered, the guitars alternate between blunt and sharp at will and the master volume knob is virtually an instrument in itself. If you give it a chance, You in Reverse will not let you down.