Album Review: Death Cab for Cutie – Plans
Grade: A- | Genre: Emo
Summary: While Plans falls a shade shy of the shining brilliance of Transatlanticism, it is still a mesmerizing effort to consume. Fans worried that the group’s indie soul would be squeezed out the moment the pen hit the dotted line can stop wringing their hands. They are the same group of ordinary guys playing extraordinary music.
It seems everyone has been sitting around awaiting the new saviors of rock ‘n roll since grunge carted off its chunky boots and sweltering flannel. Lots of wannabe contenders have tried to make their mark yet ended up dribbling off into the high-pitched distortion. The one that seems to have the strongest shot at resurrecting rock is this delicate fusion of rock with electronic sensibilities, supported by emotionally barring lyrics. Emo in other words. When you take a hard look at bands like the Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse and Death Cab for Cutie, it’s hard to argue that the future of rock could be in better hands. These bands value the rich artistry above all else and find their souls floating amongst the dense melodies. Death Cab returns to the party with their masterful Plans which asks the forefathers of this new musical frontier if they are ready to lead us into rock’s promised land.
It’s been six years since their full length debut Something about Airplanes first clued the world in to the coming revolution, but the world only stopped to listen when they released the lush beauty of 2003’s Transatlanticism. Its tracks became soundtrack whores, cropping up in every film and TV show that could hoist their flag of indie respectability. Ben Gibbard has been double fisting the success of late with the enormous breakthrough of his side group, the Postal Service, and their boffo hit “Such Great Heights.” Gibbard and company compile their Plans not as the Gods of indie-rock they’ve toiled as their entire career, but instead as a major industry player. Plans signals their major label debut after signing with Atlantic. The leap has imploded many seminal bands who have treaded before them (Nirvana, R.E.M.) so should we be cringing at the prospect of our boys rubbing elbows with Bruce Springsteen and serenading the drama on the OC?
If Plans is any indication of what the future holds for this talented group, I think we can all rest easy tonight. It is a brilliant vision every bit as pleasing to the ears as their formidable Transatlanticism. It doesn’t have the raw rough edges that Transatlanticism bragged, nor the capacity of dire breakup songs that took a wrench to your heart. What it does have is cleaner hooks, astute lyrics and a band more settled in its own skin. The gifts of maturity and a fresh perspective seem to be the secret to their more refined sound. Chris Walla is on board for production duties once again, and the band took to the backcountry of Massachusetts for writing and recording, wrapping up the loose ends in Seattle.
Lyrically Gibbard is as sharp as ever, and he doesn’t waste anytime getting to it. The chorus of the opening track “Marching Bands of Manhattan” plays like misery’s love child in the lyrics “sorrow drips into your heart through a pinhole/just like a faucet that leaks/and there is comfort in the sound/but while you debate half empty or half full/it slowly rises, your love is gonna drown.” He’s just come off of two half million selling albums, he and his girlfriend have been happily couplified since 2003, and he just signed a recording contract where he set the rules. Where is he draining the melancholy from? Best not to question these things, I guess.
The album’s first single “Soul Meets Body” also marks the catchiest morsel among the mix. It flags a rare upbeat departure among an album that is decidedly down tempo. You quickly surrender to its rhythmic pulse that edges you into the dance that all the uncool kids are doing. The norm here is more like “What Sarah Said.” Prominently placed pianos remind you of the priceless “I need you so much closer” moments of “Transatlanticism.” Its a song recalling the death of a girl, laced over the potent “piss and 409” that pervade the ICU. It’s a piece riddled with great lingering lines like “It’s done like a violent limp that out memories depend on a faulty camera in our minds.” Death Cab’s signature electronic blips and bobs still swirl about, sharing the top bunk with the drums and guitars. Fans comfortable with their steady evolution will snuggle into this work. “Someday You Will Be Loved” is one of these signature tunes that could never be mistaken as anyone else’s. It seems to be a soft spoken apology to cleanse the wounds of any loves Gibbard has prematurely left. It peers down that other side of the seldom musically traveled highway of heartbreak.
While Plans falls a shade shy of the shining brilliance of Transatlanticism, it is still a mesmerizing effort to consume. Fans worried that the group’s indie soul would be squeezed out the moment the pen hit the dotted line can stop wringing their hands. They are the same group of ordinary guys playing extraordinary music. You get the feeling that all this crazy success still feels surreal to them like winning $80 million in the lotto. How you spend success says a lot about you. That’s what keeps Death Cab for Cutie interesting and will keep their loyal fans lining up to bask in everything they release. Just don’t be surprised if the line keeps getting a little longer, and it starts to blend the jocks and the cheerleaders amongst the army of shoe gazers.
Release Date: August 30, 2005