Death Cab For Cutie – Plans

It’s weird, a lot of people have been asking me if I liked Death Cab For Cutie the past few years, and each time, I never knew what to say. First of all, I didn’t know who they were and any reference to Ben Gibbard always went over my head, so I looked into them a little bit just to listen to a few songs. After finding out a tiny bit about them, I felt prepared for any questions that would come at me in the future regarding the band; and while I would always respond “yeah, I like the few songs I’ve heard, but I don’t know much by them” to anyone who asked in the future, there was always a question itching at me in the back of my mind: why are so many people infatuated by this band? The few songs I heard were okay, but nothing to make all these people go crazy about them. But, after finally getting a hold of a complete album by the band (their Atlantic Records debut, Plans), I think I’ve figured out the attraction.

As a whole, Plans easily demonstrates how Death Cab For Cutie has such a rabid following. Other than a few odd glitches here and there, the songs seems to work perfectly together and shows that indie rock can be equally as moving as the most sappy emo song without being sappy. Take, for example, the driving and powerful opener of Marching Bands Of Manhattan or the immediate catchiness of the single,Soul Meets Body. Stripping it down to the bare necessities, Death Cab are even to make the acoustic folk ballad I’ll Follow You Into The Dark feel fully alive as Gibbard tells a story of never ending love (“If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied, Illuminate the no’s on their vacancy signs. If there’s no one beside you when your soul embarks, then I’ll follow you into the dark“). Whatever they are trying to do, they are able to do it smoothly. From the acoustic ballad, to the rich and vibrant Someday You Will Be Love to the carefully planed out keystrokes and rhythmic drum beats on Summer Skin; each song is alive on its on, but fits so much better combined.

But still, despite all these great songs, there are a few that make you wince and press skip. Such as the uninspired and dragged on Different Names For The Same Thing or the ending of the otherwise phenomenal What Sarah Said. These songs, although few and far between, seem to impact the album quite drastically. I mean, out of all the times I’ve listened to the album, I don’t think I’ve sat through the entire Stable Song or Brothers On A Hotel Bed more than once. These just really hit the album hard and knocks it down a few points.

It is plain and simple as to why Death Cab For Cutie has such a huge and ever growing fan base, this album proves why. And now, whenever someone asks me what I think of them – I’ll actually have a thought out answer for them.