Death Cab For Cutie – Plans
(Atlantic)

Whenever an indie act makes the jump to a major label, I often find myself wondering, what is it that suddenly gets the music industry bigwigs to stand up and take notice? Especially with a band like Death Cab For Cutie, who have been essentially doing the same thing for years now. What has changed that now makes them a hot commodity? I suppose their own growing fanbase is an indicator of their potential for widespread success, but Death Cab just never struck me as a band that would make good rock stars. (Then again, neither did Jimmy Eat World.)

Now this isn’t really a comment on Death Cab For Cutie’s music, and to be fair, by most standards they are still a long way from being mega-stars. It’s just that I don’t understand the hype surrounding them. Ben Gibbard’s delicate songwriting can be quite catchy and occasionally heartfelt, but it’s certainly not profound. On the other hand, maybe their middle of the road pop sensibility is exactly what makes them major label material.

If it sounds like I’m being a little hard on Death Cab For Cutie, I probably am. Truth be told, I used to be a lot more interested in the band before I heard Ben Gibbard’s electro-pop side project, The Postal Service, whose music left a much more vivid impression on me. And yet, I was still curious to hear what Death Cab’s major label debut would be like. Had the band progressed or changed in some way since the last time I heard them?

The simple answer there is no. This is still the same band that recorded such low key indie pop albums as “Transatlanticism” and “The Photo Album”, and I think that’s a positive thing. “Plans” consists of another 11 emotionally-tinged pop songs, about half of which are forgettable and the other half of which will stick in your head for days. The production on the album is crisp and pretty, with additional instrumentation in the form of piano and strings that add a little fluorish to the songs but never really make their way to the forefront of the music.

The best song on the disc is easily “Soul Meets Body”, a catchy pop gem with soaring melodies and rugged acoustic guitars layered over top of upbeat percussion. In my experience it’s not usually a good sign when the radio single is the high point of an album, but in Death Cab’s case it seems to make perfect sense. “Crooked Teeth” is another stand out, as is the gentle ballad, “Your Heart Is An Empty Room”. Unfortunately, the album has a few snoozers on it too, songs like “Summer Skin” just go in one ear and out the other.

So while it’s commendable that Death Cab For Cutie have held steady through the storm of mainstream success and come through relatively unscathed, I still can’t help but feel a little underwhelmed by this album. They may be Seth Cohen’s favourite band, but I don’t see this as more than something you throw on for background music when you want to relax. Anyways, maybe now that Gibbard has gotten his rock star tendencies out of the way he can get back to what really matters… recording a new Postal Service album! — Sean

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Recommended If You Like: Matt Pond PA, The Decemberists, The Postal Service, Jimmy Eat World, Ben Folds

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