With this in mind, I started wading through the eleven songs that make up Transatlanticism (hint, the C is soft like an S.) The album begins with The New Year. "So this is the New Year, and I don’t feel any different" From the bombastic guitar riff beginning to the breakdown I could feel that I was in for a ride. Expo '86 is a highlight, as it builds from the noodlings of Walla's guitar that have become a staple in Death Cab's sound. The contrast from the sparse notey section to the head-bobbing chorus is infectious, heavy enough to interest the indie/emo audiences without ever letting it rip enough to interest the hardcore/metal crowd, Death Cab do all they can to rock without officially rocking. To this point in the album, I can't identify a new direction that the band has taken, but they haven't written songs that sound like their previous work either.
The Sound of Settling is ok, and when I heard Tiny Vessels I thought it would probably be the highlight of the album. This takes us through track six. What I soon realized is that the album doesn’t even begin until Transatlanticism, the track for which the album was named. A strange rhythm, simplistic piano, and the naked voice of Gibbard. The intricate verses, the simplistic chorus, the building of a symphony out of hardly anything at all. This eight-minute exercise in layering is by far their greatest moment as a band, all the way through to the celebratory sing-along finish. "So come on." It isn’t necessarily a sad song, especially by indie/emo standards which have been set by the likes of Dashboard Confessional, but it is such a mixture of feelings. Like a somber celebration or a glorious defeat, it tugs at a strand in your heart while telling you everything will be alright.
Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
Dammit, yet another thing to add to my growing list of things I absolutely must own. I didn't even know this was coming out - and I usually seem to find release dates for everything, somehow . . .
2 - Craig Lyndall
I don't think you will be dissappointed. I felt as if I struck gold when I got a chance to hear it early.