We Looked Like So Much Giant...

In light of the release of the new Death Cab For Cutie [1] album last week, it's high time we rank these damns. So here we go:

(from last to best)...

#7 You Can Play These Songs With Chords (1997)

Chock-full of not only good and original songs, but also recorded and performed solely by Ben Gibbard [2]. This is where it all started. However, many of the songs appearing here would later be re-recorded in arguably "better" (or, at least better produced) versions, making this record little more than a glorified "demo" release of what was to come. Still though, for what it is, and all things considered, it's a fairly solid record throughout.

#6 Narrow Stairs (2008)

The newest effort from the band is somewhat of a disappointment for me. For everything the band has done, I suppose I was just expecting more. There's a handful of really good songs on here ("Cath"; "You Can Do Better Than Me"; "Grapevine Fires"; "Your New Twin Sized Bed"; "Long Division"). However, many seem to fall a bit short of par: "No Sunlight" is a nice "fresh & poppy" jam, but really doesn't go anywhere; "Bixby Canyon Bridge" is slow to start off, but then manages to get better, yet never quite over the hump; while the first single, the 8+ minute jam "I Will Possess Your Heart" is quite catchy upon the first few listens, but loses it's luster after that, due not in any short part to it's overly-repetitive nature. Not to mention it has to be one of he lamest song titles in the bands' history. For Gibbard, who is arguably otherwise considered a lyrical genius, it verges on the seemingly "phoned in" effect.

Regardless of the shortcomings of those three mediocre songs, what I think hurts this album more than anything is the ending. Death Cab has had a reputation in the past of putting some of their best, most climactic songs in the second-to-last slot (e.g. "We Looked Like Giants" "Brothers On A Hotel Bed" "Coney Island" "Fake Frowns") while then bringing that climax to a more controlled, but fitting finish (e.g. "Lack Of Color" "Stable Song"). In this instance, I feel they missed the mark completely. I find the last two songs on this record to be the weakest. In fact, seated in the climatic second-to-last spot instead, is a 4-minute, tabla-induced droning titled "Pity & Fear"...my thoughts exactly. A friend of mine mentioned to me that he felt the album seemed to lack cohesion and stability (although he wasn't sure the songs were in the correct order on his iPod, either...regardless:) I couldn't agree more. Parts of the album hold together fairly well (Tracks 4-9 actually are mostly solid throughout), other parts feel like I'm listening to the record on shuffle. The last two songs feel like they should be in the middle, an 8+ minute jam session doesn't belong anywhere toward the beginning of your record unless you're Wilco [3], and "Grapevine Fires" following into "Your New Twin-Sized Bed" would have made for a much finer ending.

At the end of the day, it's a pretty good record in its own right. But considering Death Cab's catalogue as a whole, I can't help but think it's one of their weakest efforts. It should be noted, however, that while I was probably not as critical of Plans, as I am this, I was not too fond of that album either, when it was first released. But later grew to appreciate it. Speaking of which...

#5 Plans (2005)

I didn't like this album as a whole when it first came out (remember me saying that?). I liked "Soul Meets Body" and "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" but otherwise, I felt it started out fairly well and slowly sunk itself into a muddy crevasse. Upon repeated listenings over two to three years, I slowly "made friends" with it. There's many songs on there that only come to light after repetition, and while I can be a sucker for catchy pop music, I always find that my favorite music is the kind that almost has to earn your respect through some kind of hard work and dedication (and somehow it's still on my part). "Someday You Will Be Loved" and "Your Heart Is An Empty Room" have come to be some of my favorite Death Cab songs on a more recent scale.

#4 Something About Airplanes (1998)

While You Can Play These Songs With Chords is where it all began, this is also where it all began...kind of...except not really...maybe. Most of the songs on this record first appeared on its predecessor, but these are much better produced forms of the songs that make Death Cab, well...Death Cab. As good as Plans is, I place this one a spot higher solely because this album as a whole forms a textbook case of the "quintessential modern indie-rock song." That and, "Champagne From A Paper Cup" is still one of my all-time favorite songs by them.

#3 The Photo Album (2001)

From a critical standpoint, this album was considered a disappointment by many. I happen to love it. It was practically the first Death Cab album I ever owned (in retrospect, I had actually just typed "Death Cab" into Kazaa's search engine and started downloading random songs; 95% ended up being from this album being that it had just come out some months earlier). So I guess, since this album was my first true introduction to the band, I thought it was great. Certainly not a disappointment, bearing that I had not much else with which to compare it. Regardless, though, I still think it holds up much better than for what many give it credit. I've pointed out to friends countless times that "We Laugh Indoors" is one of the best modern examples of a song that knows when to keep it simple, and when to let loose. Behind a solid drumbeat (which I'll get to in a moment), the music in the main verse (although there's no real chorus unless you want to count the bridge) relies just as much on the SPACES BETWEEN the notes, as the notes themselves. The song is a great lesson in songwriting: Sometimes simple is best.

On a side note, I also just want to mention that the drummer on this album, Michael Schorr, was my favorite of all the Death Cab drummers. With the exception of a handful of singles and EPs, this is the only Death Cab recording he plays on, but he served his time well. Their current drummer is also pretty damn good, but I've always felt that timing & percussion-wise, this was their most solid and precise album.

#2 Transatlanticism (2003)

"Oooooooohhhh..." Every song is great, timed out and ordered perfectly. "The New Year" opens the album well and includes a catchy bass line for those who bother to notice. "Title & Registration" is a great narrative strictly from a lyrical standpoint. "The Sound Of Settling" is a bit poppy and radio-friendly, but in a good way, which leads into "Tiny Vessels" another great lyrical number. The title track is another one of the greatest songs they've ever written. Not to mention one of the saddest songs ever. "We Looked Like Giants" in that very important second-to-last spot brings the album to a soaring climax, while "A Lack Of Color" takes it back down to Earth for a tasteful finish. Every song on this one is a classic. And that's all there is to say...(I guess now would be a good time to tell you that Narrow Stairs will probably be the LONGEST of my written reviews in this blog).

#1 We Have The Facts And We're Voting Yes (2000)

So, let's get one thing straight: For all intents and purposes, Transatlanticism is probably Death Cab For Cutie's best album. But on a much more personal note (taking into account personal opinion and sentimental value), We Have The Facts... is my favorite. "Title Track" (yes, that's literally the name of the song) was the first Death Cab song I ever heard, while I was listening to K-JO 105's "New Music Weekly" [4] show one night when I was a senior in high school. I literally texted my friend who worked at the station at that moment to ask what the name of the song was, and on what album it was, so that I could download it (leading to the events I mentioned in The Photo Album's review). Starting as a life-less sounding lo-fi jam, it suddenly kicks into high-fidelity at the start of the second verse giving it some stunning power. It still remains another one of my all-time favorite Death Cab songs. "Lowell, MA" is another catchy tune which sounds strikingly similar (but still noticeably different enough to not make you feel ripped-off) to "Company Calls" (yet another one of my faves). Also an interesting note is that the bands original drummer quit during the recording of this album. As a result - excepting "The Employment Pages" and "Company Calls Epilogue" - Ben Gibbard plays drums on every song on this album. And does quite a marvelous job.