IN REVIEW: Death Cab for Cutie - "Thank You for Today"

Following founding guitarist Chris Walla's departure, many speculated what Death Cab for Cutie's music might sound like going forward. Would we get a deluge of synth and keyboards, like we did on 2011's Codes and Keys? Maybe they'd retreat into the sparser sounds of their earlier work. Perhaps it would be "none of the above", and Death Cab would go off in a direction they'd never gone before.

As it turns out, our answer is "a little bit of all of that"; pianos and keyboards do play a bigger role, but there are tasteful guitars running throughout to prevent a repeat of the blandness of Codes and Keys. There are slight glimpses into past glories, with a chord here and a particularly effective lyric there. Then, there are sidesteps like Summer Years, the stuttering backbeat and shimmering guitar for which lends the song a Radiohead vibe.

Unsurprisingly then, Thank You for Today is just a bit of a mess, though admittedly a more engaging listen for it. It's as though they have ideas of where to go musically without Walla, but aren't quite ready to commit to how they're going to get there. Still, Death Cab have proven that they can create quality material in their post-Walla existence and, even if it's a hit-and-miss affair, Thank You for Today also proves that there's still thrills to be extracted from this band more than two decades into their journey.

August 12, 2018 • Atlantic
Highlights Summer Years • Your Hurricane • Autumn Love

Comments

Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2013 Nominee: Arctic Monkeys

ARCTIC MONKEYS Do I Wanna Know? From: AM Released: September 10 That Year in Rock 2012's Single of the Year R U Mine? ended up on this album is pleasing, and it fits the motif well enough. But R U Mine? isn't what makes Arctic Monkeys' fifth album an Album of the Year contender. Sweaty, sultry and pulsing with sexual energy, AM is the kind of record that's just as effective whether you're chilling out after a long day, staring into a mirror prepping yourself for a late night clubbing session or setting the mood for some escapades in the boudoir.

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #10-1

Now we're getting somewhere; the top ten, where there are no duds or mids, only bangers. Also, no more teasing it out; let's wrap this up! What I've learned this year from my ten faves this year is that it is indeed still possible for a dude approaching his fifties to more or less stay up to date on the new school. Of course, there are some listed here that got a boost from playing tribute to the old school, but there is an undercurrent happening in rock that points to the future. But, I'm getting ahead of myself; here come the champs. 10 MILITARIE GUN Life Under the Gun June 23, 2023 • Loma Vista Highlights Very High Will Logic Never Fucked Up Once Rising from the ranks of the still-potent L.A. hardcore scene, the debut record from Militarie Gun (following a trio of EPs) bears a dash of polish that's expected with backing from a larger label; the tension and energy remain, though, resulting in one of the catchiest hardcore albums I can think of in recent years. 9 ...

SOUND BITES

Search This Blog