Album Description: 3rd full-length from Seattle indie darlings features guest appearances by Sean Nelson, John Vanderslice & James Mendenhall ,on Barsuk Records.
Amazon.com: Death Cab for Cutie turn difficult personal issues into literary rock songs while straddling the narrow line between blissful pop and driving indie rock. The Northwest act's songs soar high like Built to Spill's or Beulah's, and almost every track on The Photo Album is as musically bouncy and upbeat as the best of those bands. As catchy as the songs on The Photo Album may be, though, it's really front man Benjamin Gibbard's comfort with laying his emotional issues bare that makes this an excellent album. "Styrofoam Plates" is the most stunning track, with words that leave chills long after they've disappeared. As Gibbard sings about anger for a dead father ("It's not quite a stretch to say you were not quite a father / But a donor of seeds to a poor single mother / That would raise us alone / We never saw the money / It went down your throat down the hole in your belly"), his stark honesty makes this dysfunctional family story the most compelling piece of this album. The other issues of clumsy relationships pale a little in comparison, but The Photo Album still leaves little doubt that Death Cab deserve all the indie rock accolades they have received. --Jennifer Maerz
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Catchy melodies, personal lyrics
I knew that DCFC was an indie rock band that had received a lot of favorable reviews from the critics. I had listened to Transatlanticism and Plans in the past and thought that they were all right but not especially memorable. Even so, I picked up The Photo Album when I saw it in a sale bin. Unlike my previous experiences listening to DCFC, The Photo Album immediately grabbed my attention with its catchy melodies and personal lyrics. Several other reviewers mentioned how the drums are given a very central role in the music, which I liked a lot. I highly recommend this CD and plan to go back ... Read More
Rating: - Consistent, though modest for their standards then
3 1/2
Indie-light band was in the throngs of making earnest, alternative rock at this point, and how effortless some of this tighter, more angular work seems when stacked against often strained and self-conscious current recordings. Not yet reaching their creative peak but offering plenty worth revisiting, TPA feels like a valid medium between Deathcab's quirky and melodic sides.
Rating: - A Truly Wonderful Album
I never like paring down a group's work to the efforts of one member, but Ben Gibbard deserves recognition for his lyric-writing alone. His sometimes hopeful, often sad, always warm lyrics strike such a chord with me that I've actually listened to the album in its entirety back-to-back, which I almost never do. With a lyrical specificity that surpasses Belle & Sebastian, Gibbard's words and wispy, longing vocals, along with the quietly-yet-superbly dramatic melodies crafted by the rest of Death Cab, particularly the anxious, earnest drumming of Michael Schorr, explore over ten tracks the near ... Read More
Rating: - worst
i LOVE dcfc, especially their old stuff. this album is the worst album they have, there are only about 4 good songs. and saying that this album is worse than 'plans' is saying a lot. but the lyrics are good. numbers 4, 6, and 10 are the best songs.
Rating: - I don't even like EMO...
I didn't discover Death Cab until Transatlantacisim (thanks to the OC) but this band has quickly become one of my favorites. I think they are rediculously talented, and I love the way they structure their music and lyrics. This album doesn't disapoint if you appreciate what this band is doing. It's a little less clean than Transatlantacisim and Plans, but it's still highly enjoyable. I only rate this 4 stars because I compare it to their more recent releases, and I feel that this band is getting better as time goes along.
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