Transatlanticism

The only album from Death Cab for Cutie to appear on the list is 2003’s Transatlanticism, often considered the songwriting pinnacle for the band.  To be honest, I had not heard of Death Cab for Cutie (or wasn’t aware I had heard them) until I heard “Soul Meets Body” off their record Plans (released in 2005; I think it was late 2005 when I heard the single).  I loved “Soul Meets Body”—the ringing acoustics, Ben Gibbard’s singing, and the steady beat.  Subsequently, I picked up Plans and listened to it on a trip to a client in PA.  I enjoyed the entire record for its sonic qualities and lyrics, so I downloaded it and have listened to it probably the most of the other albums I heard.

Death Cab began as a solo project for Ben Gibbard, who got the name from the title of a song performed by the fictional band in Yellow Submarine (perhaps a karmic coincidence since I am a big Beatles fan).  The current lineup of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Chris Walla (guitar, production, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), and Jason McGerr (drums) has been together since 2003 before Transatlanticism was released.  Since that album they have realized greater and greater success, having signed with Atlantic Records and toured the world as a headliner.  Transatlanticism, though, was where it all started.

#193 – Death Cab for Cutie, Transatlanticism (Metascore = 85)

Over time I have learned that Death Cab records can be hit or miss.  Granted, outside of The Photo Album I have heard their later albums, Signs and Narrow Stairs (I haven’t heard Codes & Keys yet, though the few songs I have heard are nowhere near as memorable as the ones on Signs or Narrow Stairs).  You can hear this inconsistency in song transitions; some songs transition well (for instance, “No Sunlight” to “Cath…”), while some do not.  Gibbard has admitted that he doesn’t plan out albums when he sits down to write songs, that the theme just comes to him over the course of his writing.  While this is certainly understandable and probably representative of many songwriters, it also seems to be an indicator of how that album will be received by critics, as critics seem to be less receptive to disjointed albums than they are of themed albums.

Transatlanticism seems to be an anomaly of Gibbard’s songwriting process.  Perhaps it did flow out the way he has described, but this album seems to have a better grasp of song transitions.  Each song seems to flow logically into the other.  I’m not suggesting that the album is uniform; on the contrary, each song has its own tempo, its own focus, its own sound (for lack of better word), but each song flows into the other to make the album more accessible.

Lyrically Gibbard also seems to be focused on one central theme—love.  He goes through the emotions of a growing relationship eventually strained by the space of distance before crumbling under the pressure.  His lyrics here are focused and more direct than on any other record I have heard from them.  Songs like “Title and Registration”, “Expo ‘86”, and “Transatlanticism” all have thoughtful lyrics that build on this theme, this path of the record.  Really, this is their best record to date.

I have a very favorable reaction to this record.  I try to read the critic sources listed on Metacritic to understand the thought processes of the critics, and while I’m not at the extreme of A/V Club’s Stephen Thompson, I enjoyed this record very much.  I also don’t totally agree with Pitchfork’s William Morris’ assessment.  Sure, this album has the grandeur that would come gushing out in later records, but Morris seems to think this grandiosity permeates throughout the record, that he’s grown too old for this, which I find totally bogus.  But we’re all entitled to an opinion, and overall Death Cab succeeded well here and carried that into a longer career.  They’re no longer the indie band they once were, but they can still write some great tunes.