Transatlanticism

by

Death Cab for Cutie

Edit

As always, let's just get a few things out of the way.

If you're a die-hard DCfC fan, stop reading, you will buy the album regardless of anything I (or anyone else, for that matter) has to say about it.

If you're an overblown emokid with a yen for the melodramatic, you should buy this CD. You may now stop reading.

If you're a radio lover that is interested in this CD because hey, that guy from the Postal Service is in it and that Such Great Heights song is so good and it was on MTV2 and wow!, stop reading and don't buy the CD. There's a 90% chance you'll hate half the tracks on this album, just like you hated half the tracks on Give Up when you downloaded them all.

If you're like me and you're vaguely familiar with DCfC's previous work and you liked what you heard, by the album - it's quite good and although it's differently shaped than, say, The Photo Album, it's still an album that feels death cab from start to finish in both ben's lyrics and the instrumentation.

If you've never heard DCfC before, be warned: they're what the media monster has labeled as "emo" (which groups them unfairly with groups like Dashboard Confessional) because their lyrics have a personal draw toward experiences as opposed to the widely generic feel of most other music today. Transatlanticism in particular deals with relationships (and, as the name suggests, long distance relationships), and if you have (and of course you have!) experienced a relationship that ended, you'll find at least one line that calls out to you and says "Hey, I wrote lyrics for all the stuff you're feeling inside, and then I put chords to those lyrics that accentuate that feeling." Buy the CD.

This is a guilty pleasure for me. At first listen I was not impressed. Although, I really wasn't expecting much. I am not one to jump on the band wagon, but I thought I would give this band a whirl and after several listens, it definitely clicked. I gotta stress, this is not music for everyone and I am sure some will be totally tunred off by it. Kinda balances on that fine line of poor white boy, living in suburbia, pity me thing -but I have to admit, the album works astonishingly well. It is sensetive and introspective. Ben Gibbard's voice expresses his emotional state really well and many people will be able to identify with him and his woes. Basically, if you can relate - this cd will rock you. The cd is well crafted, starting and ending beautifully with a very climatic structure. On repeated listens it grows on you, it really does. Almost gave it four stars... maybe I should have, but I dont know - not sure if this cd will stand the test of time - fits to easily in one genre or trend. However, if you like one song, you will like them all. A solid production. Time will tell if this album can reach semi-greatness. I am not too into Death Cab's previous releases, but after this stunning album, I look forward to their next cd.