The past is a lure for most successful bands - whether they admit it or not - but for Death Cab For Cutie, the pressure to revert to type has been overwhelming. ‘Kintsugi’, their eighth LP, doesn’t bow to it, instead toeing a difficult line between former glories and the sort of widescreen songwriting their status as indie royalty demands.
If anything, this is a record about separation. The tabloid ink spent on Ben Gibbard’s divorce from Zooey Deschanel has dried, been recycled as chip paper and chucked out, but that time does bubble close to the surface. The other break comes with Chris Walla, the band’s guitarist and long-time producer, stepping out of the picture.
His guitar parts are a major part of this record’s appeal, but with Rich Costey behind the controls, ‘Kintsugi’ has arena-smothering scope and a liberal coat of gloss. This approach suits a set of songs that, while steadfastly refusing to fully embrace the ‘Transatlanticism’ era, often have a warmth and air of simplicity about them that was absent on ‘Codes & Keys’.
It’s a look that may work well in this precise moment, but it’s unlikely to haul in any Death Cab fans who have drifted free from their moorings. The lyric booklet might change that, though. This is a record pockmarked with the melancholy sharpness that Gibbard has always excelled at.
No Room In Frame, an opener that almost tips over into being breezy, has teeth and isn’t afraid to use them: “Was I in your way, when cameras turned to face you? No room in frame for two.” Black Sun, too, doesn’t pull its punches: “How could something so fair be so cruel?”
Little Wanderer finds Gibbard alone as his partner trots the globe. It’s one of a number of songs, though, that flounders. Its melody is charming, but on this occasion, the payoff doesn’t land as the chorus trips on some clumsy, repetitive couplets. Good Help (Is So Hard To Find) has a killer opening line - “You’ll never have to hear the word no if you keep all your friends on the payroll.” - but is the dreariest of disco pastiches.
These missteps are far from disastrous, but they do prevent Death Cab from establishing the sort of emotional rapport that their early work prided itself on. There are a few hangovers from the slightly faceless detour that ‘Codes & Keys’ now appears to be, with the band discovering new working methods while attempting to balance expectation and cathartic lyrical weight. ‘Kintsugi’ is a fine example of a band who could write a decent song in their sleep figuring things out.
Death Cab For Cutie Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Mon June 08 2015 - LONDON O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
Tue June 09 2015 - LONDON O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
Wed June 10 2015 - LONDON O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
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