Perfect from Now On

Perfect from Now On is the third studio album released by Built to Spill, and the band's first major label (Warner Bros.) release. It was recorded at the Avast! Recording Company in Seattle, Washington by Phil Ek. Stylistically, the album was marked by its experimentation with longer song structures and philosophical lyrics about existential angst, the absurdity of chasing perfection, and the fear of mortality, while also exploring themes of personal growth, religious guilt, and the search for meaning in a chaotic, indifferent universe.

The album was recorded three times. The first time, frontman Doug Martsch attempted to play all the instruments except drums. He and Ek were dissatisfied with the results, so Martsch brought in bassist Brett Nelson and drummer Scott Plouf and recorded the album again. However, these tapes were destroyed by heat when Ek was driving from Seattle to Boise to record additional overdubs. The band rehearsed some more, then recorded the album a third time.

According to a February 1999 Spin Magazine article, the album had sold 43,000 copies up until that point.

In September 2008, the band embarked on a three-month tour to perform the album in its entirety.