Keep It Like a Secret is the fourth studio album released by American indie rock band Built to Spill, and their second for Warner Bros. Records. The initial tracks for the album were recorded in November 1997 at Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Washington by Phil Ek, with overdubs recorded on mid-1998 at Avast! Recording Co. in Seattle, Washington. Keep It Like a Secret was released on February 2, 1999. The album spawned two singles: Carry the Zero and Center of the Universe. After feeling burned out from constructing the lengthy songs on his previous album, Perfect from Now On, Doug Martsch made a conscious decision to write shorter, more concise songs for Keep It Like a Secret. In 1999, Pitchfork ranked the album at number 41 on their "Top Albums of the 90s" list. In a retrospective review published in 2013, Kevin McFarland of The A.V. Club called the album "perhaps the best encapsulation of the band's oeuvre and the ever-simmering public response in a single phrase." Pitchfork named the album the best album of 1999. Staff writer Garrett Martin explained: "Built to Spill essentially has two fanbases, the indie-pop kids who loved 1994’s There’s Nothing Wrong With Love and the fans of rock god virtuosity who consider 1997’s sprawling Perfect From Now On to be truly perfect. 1999’s Keep It Like A Secret is the band’s best album because it falls perfectly in-between those two extremes. It’s full of amazingly catchy rock songs with fantastic guitar work and Doug Martsch’s nostalgic lyrics and elegiac, Neil Young-ian voice."
I’m early on this submission it seems, so I can’t quite tell how the broader userbase views this album. Hopefully we agree that this is one of the high watermarks of the 90s (indie) rock scene
10/10, some really top tier 90s indie here - Built to Spill truly is a treasure
I’ve been thinking that it wouldn’t be too hard to correct the main list’s glaring blindspot(s) when it comes to American alternative and indie from the 90’s: drop the 4 Morrissey solo records, cut back on some of the multiple submissions from The Verve and Blur and the like and there’s plenty of room to better tell the story of American indie in the 90’s. I really don’t think it would take too much. Luckily, the user base here has been pretty spot-on with their choices from this era and Keep It Like a Secret is no exception. Built To Spill dials up the bombastic guitar heroics another notch here, even if its predecessor “Perfect From Now On” was not lacking in that department in the slightest. Where “Perfect…” might have felt insular and close, Keep it Like a Secret sounds huge and wide open. Just 40 seconds into the record, when the chiming guitars and wordless “ahhh” vocal harmony hits, it’s like the sound of a new world unfurling itself for you, a veritable playground for the guitar wizardry of Doug Martsch. His lead guitar is languid and melodically beautiful, but not without the ability to turn on a dime and melt face…and there are layers and layers of it, with plenty of twists and turns, to enjoy here. 5 easy stars.
Started listening to this band in early undergrad, wasn't nearly mature or listened enough to appreciate the songwriting depth until the past few years but I'm glad I got there. It's hard to pick a fav BtS LP, but this one is up there – it has some of the most aggressive arrangements and guitar parts of their catalog, but maintains the wry human spirit that defines this band thanks to Dough Martsch's excellent lyricism. It's one thing to tell a compelling story, much less to set it against some excellent grungy guitar with ripping harmonies and chord progressions. So glad to see this LP here, honestly the whole BtS discog deserves to be on the list and it's a crime there's not a single one on the official 1001.
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: The plan, Carry the zero, Else
Cool album. Best song for me was the last one
Conjures up images of roadtrips, lost love and youth gone by.
I prefer Perfect from Now On. (I like tge extended jams) But this is still great.
Keep It Like a Secret is another great indie rock album by Built to Spill. Amazing songs and impressive guitars (technically simple, but mesmerising melodies). "Carry the Zero" and "Broken Chairs" are epic.
Generic late 90s indie rock sound. You've heard other bands do it better, but you've never heard THIS band do it *just fine*!
Classic 90’s alt rock. My favorite song was “you were right” as it was cool hearing all of the song references. I think I could come to enjoy this will multiple listens.
This is my favorite BtS album.
Listened to this on repeat during a very memorable roadtrip in college. It will forever be a part of me.
Carry the Zero is one of my favorite rock songs and it seems so timeless.
Built to Spill are one of those underrated bands from a time filled with some great music. Their alternative/indie rock style was a bit ahead of its time and this album is them at their best. They have always felt like a more mature version of blink 182/sum 41. Would not only listen to this again but would recommend it as well. 8.2/10
Soild 90’s indie rock, happy to see it on the list
I enjoyed it
It’s Built to Spill!
Keep It Like A Secret is good, there are hints of Weezer about them at times I find, and this is well put together and fun to listen to. I liked Sidewalk, Else and Temporarily Blind the most, high 3 or maybe low 4.
I didn’t mind it but I couldn’t remember it to three days later so had very little impact I’m afraid. That’s not to say it wouldn’t have if I gave it more time.
lol I guarantee if I asked ChatGPT to give me an example of the most generic late 90s indie possible, it'd namedrop this. 3/5.
How crazy is it to say that Built To Spill might be a singles band? I can listen to songs like "Carry the Zero" and "Randy Describes Eternity" on loop, but trying to make it through any album by these lads is like swimming against the current of a waterfall.
Pretty good. Didn't love the singer's voice, but the music and songwriting were good. 3 stars.
Lots of external references, lots of loud noisy indie rocking. Not my thing but it was fine.
Let's put a pin in that Some of the album feels aimless and jammy, but then occasionally hits with a thing of beauty ("Else"). I think a future listen would be rewarding, since being new to the Built to Spill party, I was more occupied on trying to place them in the U.S. indie landscape rather than taking in the album as a standalone piece. There's a lot of indie on this extended list, have you noticed? I'm still processing the Modest Mouse one and that was months ago. Not to mention all the Canadian indie I've mostly ignored through my life, that I'm getting to on my own time (Karkwa, Broken Social Scene, Wolf Parade, you name it). "If all indie is critically acclaimed, then none of it is." -The Incredibles (2004) My New Year's Resolution for 2026 is to swear off indie rock like it's nicotine Between 3 and 5 stars HL: "Carry the Zero", "Else", "Broken Chairs" November 26, 2025
This was ok for me. I had another later album from them in my library so must’ve listened to them 24 years ago or so. Not earth shattering and probably wouldn’t make my version of this list but a solid listen.
Indie rock, alternative rock, dream pop. Ni fu ni fa.
Not tooo bad
Needed some good old Idaho rock to brighten my day, thanks! Keep listening to this music yes. Harmlessly passing your time in the grassland away... Only dimly aware of a certain unease in the air... Nono this is good music you're right, you are thinking...