Transatlanticism
December 10th 2004
Death Cab for Cutie was a band I thought I wouldn’t like, judging the book from its cover. I mean, the name makes them sound like a death metal band, which is of course not even close to my kind of music.
The lead singer Ben Gibbard happens also to be the man behind The Postal Service album “Give Up”, which I loved instantly. The story behind that album is very interesting — it was just a side project for the duo, and I think it was ahead of its time when it was released in February of last year. Only now has it begun to gain widespread recognition.
When I heard Ben Gibbard was in Death Cab for Cutie, I thought I’d give their newest (though still over a year old) album “Transatlanticism” a shot. Originally I just downloaded the hit track, “The New Year.” I liked it, but not a whole lot. It was a little harsh and powerful, not the kind of thing I like to listen to over the course of an entire album. Further discouragement came from review on Amazon that said New Year was the best track, and the others were all very different. What I didn’t know then was that they’re different in a good way.
“The New Year” is definately a great song, with high energy guitars and a good catchy chorus: “So this is the new year / And I don’t feel any different.” But the rest of the album is just incredible, with lyrics that are truly poetic and meaningful, and music thick with emotion, conveyed perfectly. “Our youth is fleeting, old age is just around the bend and I can’t wait to go gray / And I’ll sit an wonder of every love that could have been If I’d only thought of something charming to say,” That’s from “The Sound of Settling,” one of my favorite tracks, if only because the drum solo just makes me happy for some reason. “Tiny Vessles” is a smooth sad song, and you need good speakers to appreciate its richness. That happens a lot on this album. The recording is superb. The title track is 8 minutes long and masterful both lyrically and musically, with a beautiful 6-note bridge melody driving it home. In “Passenger Seat”, Ben Gibbard’s voice carries the entire song with only a soft piano for harmonic support. “Death of an Interior Decorator” is a surprisingly fun song, and the death is only metaphorical. The middle of that song has such a beautiful and energetic melody that it’s easy to put it on repeat. And did I mention the lyrics are genius in every song? And before I leave them out, “Lightness”, “Title and Registration”, and the last two tracks, “We Looked Like Giants” and “A Lack of Color” are also excellent, but I’ve unfortunately expended all my praise on other tracks.
The point is that I’ve listed every track as excellent, because each one is. It’s really hard to choose a favorite. Every song shines with emotion and intelligence (to put it another way, I find it hard to go to sleep if I play this CD at night — the next track is always just as good as the last, and I end up listening to the whole thing all over again). If you really like listening to your music, and thinking about it, you won’t be dissapointed. Definitely get this if you like The Postal Service, or Jimmy Eat World, or Snow Patrol (and how can you not like any of them?).
Update: after listening to this album more and more over the last week, it became even more amazing as I realized how it all came together. It’s not only that every track is excellent individually, but that the whole thing is a masterpiece with 11 songs of different thoughts hovering around one theme: love over distance. Think about that while listening and the album becomes remarkably coherent, almost as if it’s all one song with different sections reflecting different ideas and emotions and thoughts. Yet, at the same time, each song is remarkably unique, with completely different musical themes and ideas, and each certainly stands on its own.
Here are some other glowing reviews if you’re not convinced already: