Working Retail
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Gates moved to Chicago from Portland in March 1997 after the rest of the Spinanes–drummer Scott Plouf–quit, then joined Built to Spill. Arches and Aisles, her first album without Plouf, was originally due this April, and Gates, a savvy 34-year-old who has witnessed many an indie-rock sea change since Manos made her a minor star in 1993, was already antsy about how it would be received. But when a manufacturing snafu delayed its release for two months–it finally came out last Tuesday–Gates decided it was time to take matters into her own hands.
While the Spinanes were never a particularly edgy band, their second album, Strand, marked a shift toward more gentle, introspective material, and Arches and Aisles continues that progression. The smoky ballad “Greetings From the Sugar Lick,” for example, rides an earthy Al Green groove, but Gates croons the fragile melody well within her range and wisely avoids vocal grandstanding. In fact, recorded with a largish supporting cast that included Tortoise’s John McEntire, the Sea and Cake’s Sam Prekop, and local jazz bassist Josh Abrams, Arches and Aisles is the most accessible Spinanes album yet. So Gates reasoned that if only people could hear it they very well might like it.
