Albums by this artist

Plans (2005)

Transatlanticism (2003)

The Photo Album (2001)

Something About Airplanes (1999)

Concerts

February 24, 2001
Knitting Factory, New York

Death Cab For Cutie

Something About Airplanes

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» MARVIN LIN | STAFF WRITER

Death Cab For Cutie Something About Airplanes Barsuk, 1999 RiYL: Built To Spill, Elliott Smith, Pavement

Pop bands are a dime a dozen. They spring out from places you never would have thought possible. Suburbs, cities, slums, ditches, sewers...okay, I may be getting a little too dramatic, but the point is that finding a special pop band out of the faceless masses is hard.

Special pop bands? Whatever do you mean?? I mean bands that don't get boring or predictable while writing catchy songs. So many bands today don't bother trying to be interesting, they just follow the simple formula for pop success:

1. A choice between one, two, or three guitarists, a drummer, and a bassist
2. Catchy songs (preferably verse-chorus-verse structures)
3. Distortion pedals
4. Optional Moog player

Death Cab for Cutie has an advantage over the "typical" pop band, though. I am forced to guess that their advantage has a lot to do with Ben Gibbard. It is no secret that Mr. Gibbard is gushing with talent. He started in a solo project playing all the instruments under the name All-Time Quarterback. Now, Ben is the singer/writer/guitarist and founder of DCFC. His voice seems very familiar, yet unique at the same time. Similarities can be drawn to such artists as Elliott Smith, Doug Martsch and Matthew Pryor.

Something About Airplanes is arguably DCFC's most important and best album to date. It is not produced as well as their later efforts, but maybe that is why it is so great. Subtle mistakes and "sloppiness" are spread throughout, giving the album a raw, yet genuine, feel.

The word "variety" is a good term to describe Something About Airplanes. It starts with a seemingly out-of-tune acoustic guitar with a shaky cello line on the opener "Bend to Squares." The song is followed by "President of What," a rather upbeat tune reminiscent of Built to Spill, that is followed by two eerie, laid-back songs. Later on, "Amputations" and "Fake Frowns" appear back-to-back and stand out as the true gems of the record.

Think of Death Cab For Cutie as the Wonder Bra of pop music -- they provide ample support to a rather droopy genre. Although their music is not the most original stuff on the planet, it gives pop a new, impressive look to show off to its friends.

MARVIN LIN |