Death Cab for Cutie is absolutely one of my favorite bands — and I say this after having been ridiculed for that fact just the other day. My friend S., upon checking out what I had put on the iPod in the car, gave me a brutal Nelson Munz impersonation: “HAH hah. YOU like Death Cab for CUTIE!” I was all, “OH YES I DO AND YOU HAD BETTER BELIEVE IT ETCETERA!”
I honestly fail to see what is ridiculous about liking Death Cab for Cutie. Yes, they are one of those Sensitive Guy Bands, à la Iron and Wine or Ryan Adams, but hey, those are artists I also love. Death Cab for Cutie I love with a fucking passion. I had always liked them and listened to them frequently and with great pleasure, but Plans, their first major-label album, really sealed the deal for me. I get that hard-core fans who have all the early stuff on cassette tape may quibble with me on that one, but I wholeheartedly believe Plans is a brilliant fucking album. Furthermore, it was released at the absolutely perfect time for it to weave its way seamlessly into my consciousness — the songs on that album seemed like they had been written specifically for that year of my life, and I kept the album on repeat for a good 12-18 months. For real.
It would be a lie to tell you that I did not await the release of the new album, Narrow Stairs, with literally bated breath. I really, literally, held my breath while it was downloading; I was that excited. In fact, I couldn’t really wait for the real release date, so I managed to obtain it early and through questionable means (but means encouraged by the band, so).
The album is really fucking great. It’s a bit louder and grittier and darker, over all, than what they have done before, which I love. It’s complex and exhilarating and completely addictive. Go get it now (or wait until May 13th if you’re all law abidin’ and a total prude, whatever), and just try to turn it off, I dare you.
Here are a few tracks I am liking best so far, the last one being my favorite of the day.
I haven’t listened to the whole thing yet, but am planning a long walk tomorrow with The Boy for just that album. I agree about liking Death Cab, and can I say, I was NOT such a big fan until Plans. Well, I guess the two before were big faves, but still . . . AND I will one-up and admit to REALLY liking Postal Service, for which I’ve been admonished by a few of my more hardcore Death Cab fan friends. I am with you on this band and soon-to-be with you on this album, I’m sure. I also love love love the cover.
Oh, people ADMONISHED you for liking The Postal Service? I will come kick their asses. The Postal Service is only the most supreme amalgamation of the two most supreme contemporary bands, DCFC and Rilo Kiley. PUH-LEASE. They rule.
I thought Plans was a solid, but severely over-produced album. Transatlanticism, I think, is really quite a lot better. I also really like Something About Airplanes.
Plans is definitely my favorite of the three you mentioned, but this may be because the concept of something being “overproduced” is just not something that ever crosses my mind. I think I know what people mean by that, but I have never actually thought that about anything. If that makes sense.
“Sounds like many hours of machine rendering went into correcting minor imperfections in the vocals and/or instrumentation.”
The above is my working definition of “over produced”: It’s sort of like the difference in the vocal tracks on a Brittney Spears track and the vocals on a Rilo Kiley track. The latter sounds like it was sung by an actual human, the former like it’s an artists conception of what a human should sound like. The amount of pitch-correction and other studio air-brushing that goes into pop music is really the best example I can think of. And I felt that way about Plans just too much machine dickering for my liking.