Death Cab for Cutie Band • Page 3

Yeah, "Passenger Seat" into "Transatlanticism" or the last three tracks on Plans.

 

I haven't listened to Kinstugi in a while so maybe I should re-listen to it sometime to see how I feel about it now one year later, but I just feel really underwhelmed with the album. Schlotty put it best when he said the album feels safe.

I remember reading an interview where Ben was saying that he thinks the band knew where they went wrong with C&K and that fans of The Photo Album might enjoy this. To me, that sounded like they were going to right the wrong. Now, I wasn't expecting Photo Part 2, but instead we got this album that feels like a blend of Plans and C&K and it lacks any highs that hit like anything from Facts to Narrow Stairs.

I don't think it's a bad album, just mediocre. I think it's me feeling underwhelmed while also having six other albums I like more from them that makes me look at this album a little more indifferently.

 

I agree the album feels safe and I don't think it touches their best material but after Codes and Keys I was worried I wouldn't ever get an album I really liked from them again and there are enough songs on there I genuinely love, and none that I dislike, for me to be happy with it personally.

 

It is safe. I think that was the point. They got shit on for making a more pop-driven record with Codes & Keys so they tried a return-to-form. Kintsugi is basically exactly the album that people were asking for: a sad break-up album, reminiscent of earlier work, and nothing like Codes & Keys. People still hated it. Which is totally fine, just seems to me like the band was in a no-win scenario with this one, as often happens when nostalgia plays hugely into a band's ongoing appeal.

 

I mean it's not like they ever made a "Good Help" before. They made little expansions on their sound while going back to their core. the kind of barren atmosphere of this one reminds me more of Facts than anything else they've done.

you're right @Craig Manning, they could never win with this one.

 

I basically wrote as much when I reviewed Kintsugi. Just seemed like a "damned if they did, damned if they didn't" situation.

 

People have vehement negative reactions to bands transitioning into being "career bands". Really it's the best-case scenario. No artist stays at their peak forever. Some cash in shamelessly on past glories. Some flame out. The best you can hope is that a band does exactly what this one did with Kintsugi, settle into a sustainable career mode where maybe the highs aren't as high and the risks aren't the same level, but they refine and settle into their sound and keep making solid music.

 

I liked Kinstugi. I felt like there was a lot of solid songwriting. Which is what I look for from Death Cab. I'm not expecting anything from them to absolutely knock me off my feet at this point, but I know they'll put out an album I can enjoy.

 

People are acting like their fanbase is one massive being that will never be satisfied by anything. It's not damned if you do, damned if you don't -- different people just prefer them to do different things. Personally, I would have preferred Codes and Keys pt. 2 over what we got.

No idea if any of that made sense, honestly. It did in my head.

 

I KNEW there had to be Codes and Keys fans out there.

 

I'm not even necessarily talking about this one band in particular. It's just something I feel like I noticed recently and once I was looking for it, I see it everywhere.

 

"Plays hugely into the band's appeal" and "is the only reason for he band's appeal" are very different statements.

 

I still like codes and keys haha. I've spilled a lot of words about why at the forum that must not be named

 

Only album of theirs post Trans that I dislike is Narrow Stairs.

I think Kintsugi is a good album. A 7/10. Nothing special but some great tracks. The first four are all brilliant in different ways, and the ballads are good too. Everything's A Ceiling is a bit average, but then I really like Good Help, El Dorado and Ingenue. The closer feels forced and like its trying to be epic but misses.

Never understood why so many people were lukewarm to this. I think a lot of people just wanted Trans/Plans part II, which just isn't going to happen. Personally I'm excited for the bands future.

 

I would definitely not call Binary Sea epic or anything to that effect. I think it's simple and ends the record in keeping with the minimalistic aspect of the rest of its songs

 

Yeah, epic is maybe the wrong term. I think it just tries really hard to be something special and kind of falls flat.

 

Just think it's a boring album. Nothing particularly interesting going on on that album.

 

Interesting opinions on Kinstugi here. To be honest, I think that album has some of their best songs. I believe Death Cab is a band I stopped comparing albums with because each holds it's own. They each have a story and a certain aura I relate too depending on how I'm feeling or if I'm in the mood for nostalgia.

I have signed posters, albums, and concert tickets by this band and I can confidently say they don't have a "bad" album. Sure, I'm in the majority who were underwhelmed by Codes & Keys but it still has a few killer songs.

I guess I'm just surprised people have ever been bored by one of their albums, they always catch you with a hook at some point or another and they always feel sincere. As a lyricist, Ben just kills it. Ending my jumbled thoughts now, haha.

 

I know I'm in the minority but I really loved Kintsugi. I wasn't expecting to after the letdown that was Codes and Keys, but I was very pleasantly surprised. I'd put Little Wanderer and No Room In Frame up with some of their best material.

 

I'm still a huge fan of this record.

 

The thing about Kintsugi for me is, I really only wanted a record with a few gems on it, and that's exactly what I got. I don't expect them this deep into their career to release another classic album. They have one of the strongest discography's out there, so just a solid record from them is more than enough, and I believe that they've got the talent in the band to put out a few more solid albums before they call it a day.

 

Listened to Something About Airplanes for the first time the other day

P good

 

Something About Airplanes is a good album. Fake Frowns is my jam.

 

Amputations is great

 

I make sure to listen to Death Cab's whole discography from start to finish over a day or two at least twice a year. Definitely a top 10 band for me. Kintsugi is really good, but I can see why a lot of people are very meh towards it.