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October 23, 2005
Death Cab For Cutie - Plans
Death Cab For Cutie
Plans
Atlantic Records
This record will undoubtedly be the official make out
hit of emo kids in 2005/2006. If we’ve learned anything about past
Ben Gibbard releases, it’s that no one will pick up on the quality
of this record until two or three years after it’s released. When
I was a freshman in high school, I picked up a copy of Something About
Airplanes, their first official CD release on Barsuk. The record
didn’t leave my stereo for quite some time due to its oddly catchy
and distinct sounding production. There was simply nothing like it. The
purity of Gibbard’s voice is something that still baffles me. As
we passed through The Photo Album and the re-released You
Can Play These Songs With Chords, DCFC became the “it”
band in Americana Indie-Rock. As Transatlanticism was released,
something bad happened. Don’t get me wrong, the record was brilliant,
but in a movement that mimicked that of some horrid viral infection, the
“cool” youth of the nation embraced the band. Emo kids sick
of listening to New Found Glory somehow assimilated Gibbard’s writing
into their ironic t-shirt wearing existence and the band, without them
knowing it, became a high school commodity where listening to it made
you seem "deep" and "different" rather than just a
music fan. This happens all the time to great bands that then get the
cold shoulder from long-time fans and the press. Heck, if you believed
the press, you'd believe that Thom Yorke hasn't made a good record since
1998.
It used to be that you would attend a DCFC show and the crowd would sit
in utter silence witnessing some sort of recital by the band. But upon
the release of Transatlanticism, it was almost deafening to stand
in the crowd at the shows. 14 year-olds dropped off by their parents on
a school night at Irving Plaza making-out and socializing at a DCFC show
like some sort of sock hop was not my idea of a pleasant listening environment.
It was like the band provided the elevator music to more important gossip.
Unacceptable. Now I’m only 21, but having some doofus in an Atticus
shirt say “How do you know about the band? I thought they were only
known by younger kids” made me want to bite his face as I watched
Gibbard & Co. in an odd opening spot for the severely overrated Ben
Kweller (Corky called he wants his lyrics back).
Plans (Atlantic) finds the band mildly reinventing the songwriting
and production of Transatlanticism. The melodies are pretty,
the record is crisp yet lacking dynamics, and the lyrics are pretty much
all about an ethereal “you” or significant other. Perhaps
the band was pressured into making a repeat hit. While tracks like the
brooding opener “Marching Bands Of Manhattan” and the driving
“Your Heart Is An Empty Room” soar above the boring lack-luster
single “Soul Meets Body,” the record as a whole reminds me
too much of those released prior. Maybe it’s the fact that “What
Sarah Said” has the exact same bassline as Transatlanticism’s
“Lightness” and ends with a similar piano buildup as the previous
record’s title track, but something here feels like the band has
taken a step to the right. But there's still a lot to love here. The solo
acoustic wonder "I Will Follow You Into The Dark," is absolutely
phenomenal. Gibbard and his guitar with a cache of brilliantly clever
lyrics shows that he still can write some of the greatest yet simplest
gems today. Everyone raves about Conor Oberst as the singer songwriter,
but Gibbard is far more listenable. Afterall, it was The Postal Service
that allowed the wonderful Oberst to shit out that horrible electro record.
The guy practically bought the entire staff involved with The Postal Service
but ended up with mediocrity.
Overall, this direction is safe for DCFC, nothing on this record surprises the listener in the same way other releases have in the past. Sadness and melancholy are the norm for the band, but this time it feels like they’re writing a soundtrack for the O.C. vs. Garden State MTV Inferno hosted by Dave Mirra - whether they're trying to or not. They've been downright pigeonholed and it really sucks. That said, I know I’ll be listening to this record for the next couple of months because it is entertaining, but there’s something gilded about the whole disc. Am i being coaxed? Or just too much of a music snob and hardcore fan? (probably the latter). If you’re new to the band, you will love it. But if you own an original cassette copy of You Can Play These Songs With Chords, you might feel otherwise. Grade: B+
Posted by Carter at October 23, 2005 08:57 PM