Fuse Listening Party: Our Staff Spins Death Cab for Cutie's 'Kintsugi'
Death Cab for Cutie's eighth album—and first since the departure of 17-year guitarist/producer Chris Walla—is out today. Our staff spent a week listening to the album (thanks for that stream, NPR!) and emailing about it. Here's the Fuse listening party for Kintsugi.
Zach Dionne: Happy and relieved to report that I enjoy this album! Still haven't made heads or tails of 2008's Narrow Stairs or 2011's Codes and Keys yet—great songs, great overarching feelings of boredom and anxiousness—and this one feels like it'll settle quicker. I don't think I'm going to have a problem replaying it early and often.
Jumping into the middle of the record (11 songs, 45 minutes): "You've Haunted Me All My Life" is acoustic with light touches of this oceanic feel that gives me me always-welcome Transatlanticism vibes. Then "Hold No Guns" comes up right after, also acoustic, but way smaller, more solo-Gibbardian. THEN: "Everything's a Ceiling," track seven. This is "new Death Cab"—1980s hand clap electric drum-kit rock filtered through the DCFC-brand Brita pitcher. In general, the back half of Kintsugi has more surprises and takes more chances.
Kind of feels like Ben Gibbard's stuck in a melody wheel, though, where he's got a semi-small handful of notes and patterns he can't get out of? Anyone think so? Anyone here go ALL THE WAY BACK with Death Cab? I want to hear a tirade about sellouts and shitty albums!
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