CD of The Week

Death Cab For Cutie is a pretty cool name for a band especially if you understand the reference. Having grown up listening to The Beatles and watching their films, I heard the song in the 1967 TV movie Magical Mystery Tour. “Death Cab For Cutie” is played by the wild Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band while a stripper performs. It always made me feel the name was provocative because of this. The Washington state band was all over the mid to late 2000s with their breakthrough polished indie rock. Huge hits and big albums that were inescapable whether on the radio, MTV, or even television shows like The OC. 

DCFC may not be as fresh-faced as those days, but they’ve been able to age gracefully into fan favorites who still produce very interesting albums, such as this, their eleventh record I Built You A Tower. 

Standout single “Punching the Flowers.” starts with a groovy beat and power chords with a dissonant riff of the guitars, like an homage to grunge or Fugazi. This transitions to a twinkly chorus with Ben Gibbard’s melodic voice, seemingly youthful as ever, singing “with the sound of slamming doors.” The next track “Pep Talk” keeps the jangle sounding like early Death Cab. Ben sings urgently, with his heart on his sleeve. “My past is a whiskey glass tipping down a drunkard’s throat” gives me a chill. “Envy the Birds” is another standout about arguments and it being safer to speak without words so no one gets hurt, which is written a little blatantly. It’s direct and it works.

This LP seems to be written about the frontman’s recent divorce and that brings an urgency throughout. I applaud the aggressiveness. “How Heavenly a State” may be the noisiest the band has ever sounded. The contrast between the louder and softer sections works within the song and its bridge consecutively. “Trap Door” stands out as the more electronic song on the tracklist and a signature vocal “heart” sung by Gibbard. The first single, “Riptides,” starts with a sparse guitar riff and drum groove, building bass, noise, and more guitars to a big chorus. Signature melodies and grooves play throughout the track. 

For a band that could just keep touring anniversaries in their discography, they put out an album worth the listen – maybe moreso than their recent efforts, though going through their vast discography, you won't find a bad album. I Built You A Tower has the charm that harkens to their past, adds some new elements that don’t seem out of reach, and adds more layers upon each listening. 

Death Cab For Cutie returns to The Mann on July 17th with Philadelphia’s own Japanese Breakfast.