This past friday, the 16th, Death Cab for Cutie released a new album, that’s called Asphalt Meadows. I fell in love with Death Cab for Cutie 16 years ago, when i heard their song Soul Meets Body off of their 2005 album Plans, when someone put that song in a video montage of a player versus player video of the computer game World of Warcraft. Can’t remember what video, or who made it, but hats off to you, for introducing Death Cab for Cutie to me.
This american rock band has put out a lot of music since their debut in 1997. Asphalt Meadows is a 11 track album, that stretches over 42 minutes and 5 seconds. And my impressions are that this is an album that sounds very much like a Death Cab for Cutie-album. Some songs that are very gentle and downtempo, some songs that features gentle parts with temposhifts and some songs that goes a bit harder than the other songs, with lyrics that are sung a bit harsher, with an overall tempo that is paced quicker than other tracks.
And this formula is what Death Cab for Cutie is known for, tempo-shifting songs, beatiful lyrics with the angelic voice of Ben Gibbard, that is tightly knit into a package with the help from the very instrumentally strong support from the rest of the band. And this is both a strenght and a weakness from Death Cab for Cutie. You get what you expect, it’s very tight and efficient, but you don’t ever get surprised by a release from them. And i assume that this is what has kept them in the game for so long. The fans, me included, always know what we’re going to get, and it’s often, nearly always, very good. However, i would like to see some experimenting, as i believe that they’re competent enough to make a lot of different genres work. And, you can always fall back and listen to Ben Gibbards other band The Postal Service, that in all honesty sound a bit like DCfC, but it’s also very good.
All in all, to round this text off. I like this album, a lot, i think it’s good, and it will be heavily rotated by me. Have you given it a listen? If not, give it a chance!
Until next time, take care.
SLQT.
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