Transatlanticism

Emo at heart forever

Tämäkin kelpo indietä, muttä jotain särmää jää puuttumaan.

Death Cab are one of the titans of aughts-era indie rock. While this isn't my absolute favorite album of theirs, it's certainly one of their best. Ben Gibbard's vocals and lyrics are haunting and beautiful and the instrumentation compliments them perfectly.

I enjoyed this one more than most user submitted albums

With a name like Transatlanticism and the concept about long distance relationships, I expected this to be an album that would really connect with me (this is the warning to the reader that this review will contain personal experiences), but unfortunately I found it fell flat in that regard, that said it's quite successful as a breakup album.

This album feels a lot like the American equivalent of the post-britpop scene in the UK (e.g. early Coldplay, Travis, Keane, Doves) but the US equivalent of it, but approached from an emo background. It's a pretty interesting sound. Death Cab also seem quite fond of post-rock type slow build ups leading to crescendos, most notably on the title track.

You can tell that this album took a lot of inspiration from Elliott Smith, in terms of lyrics, vocals, and music, though Transatlanticism is much rockier. It does run the risk of appearing a little like Elliott Smith but on a budget, but lyricism on the album is quite flowery so it's still pretty good.

I found the LDR concept of the album difficult to connect to. For context I am a Brit that moved to the US about two and a half years ago to be with my (now) wife who is American and who I was apart from for about 4 years. A lot of the lyricism in this is about how difficult being apart is and how it highlights the fractures within the relationship and the insecurities of the people involved, which is good, the problem is that many of the lyrics just come across as the singer either not liking his partner or only being in love with them for superficial reasons.

I actually spoke with my wife about the difficulties of our LDR phase today for reasons unrelated to today's pick, and she said that a lot of people she talked to in LDRs had similar problems as the lyrics in this album, so it probably will connect to a lot of people in this position but I just don't understand it. Of course it's easier to do an LDR in the year 2020 than in 2003, but I think the core issue remains.

As stated at the start, it's actually pretty good as a breakup album, which I'm assuming is the way most people engage with it, and it's when I started to think of it in this way that I started to enjoy it. Also really appreciated that anti-new years day song at the start, very interesting concept for a song.

Should it be on the list: Probably not but you could make a case for it

Top 3 songs: The New Year, Title and Registration, Tiny Vessels

I prefer Ben Gibbard's work on the Postal Service rather than Death Cab for Cutie, but this is pretty solid work from this group, feels less wishy washy than their later work.

Surprisingly solid 00's indie rock.

Favorite songs: We Looked Like Giants, The New Year, Transatlanticism, Expo '86, Tiny Vessels

Least favorite songs: Death of an Interior Decorator

4/5

Sounds like some foundational early 2000s indie. Sound Of Settling is karaoke goals. Really melancholic and poignant.

This is an album of music.

Interminable

Man this era of soft boy indie rock has been nonstop whiffs as it comes up. Flaming Lips couldn’t do it for me, these guys had no chance

Classic album from the era, should have been on the original list.

In my wheelhouse for sure, but I'll take Built To Spill for this sort of thing.