Back When They Were Good: Death Cab for Cutie
now
Well crafted yet turgidly dull radio friendly pop songs.
then
A masterclass in songcraft. The drum drives the song forward bleakly yet relentlessly with a hollow beat. A surprisingly morose tale of meaningless sex brought to life via some of Gibbard’s finest lines (“I think I’m drunk enough to drive you home now“). Throw in some fantastic wordplay (“Sad sorry state, stutter step to those slammin’ groves“), and you end up with more emotion in a couple of minutes than they manage on an album these days.
have you actually listened to the two post-transatlanticism records? to claim ‘champagne…’ has “more emotion in a couple of minutes than they manage on an album these days” is a tad unfair. some of ‘plans’ and ‘narrow stairs’ may be as gracious to daytime radio as thom yorke is to the environment, but some of gibbard’s best work can be discovered on their last two records. if you haven’t checked out the latter, go see ‘your new twin sized bed’ – quite possible their most ‘emotional’ few minutes to date.
hy·per·bo·le
n.
A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect