Doug Martsch

Photo by Tae Won Yu DOUG MARTSCH
NOW YOU KNOW
WARNER BROS. RECORDS

This is one album you're gonna want to sit down with—maybe with your favorite cocktail, maybe with an old photo album, maybe with nothing but a few bittersweet memories. Doug Martsch, already famous for his eloquent emoting as singer/guitarist for alt.-rock band Built to Spill, is now pouring his heart out all over again—this time with only a pedal-steel guitar and some quiet accompaniment. The result is more than an artist discovering a new instrument; it's Martsch finding a smoother and subtler expressway to your soul. He's quiet but capable in Built to Spill, but he's a whole new level of sure, soothing and steadfast on Now You Know. His solos are gentle epics, and the shrill, stretched-thin sound of the slide guitar suits Martsch's style well. Leadoff track "Offer" will rattle you from the inside out as Martsch sings, "I'm everyone that someone used to love." It's a perfect example of everything that follows: you'll nod, take a sip, and say, "Yeah, me, too." (Michael Coyle)