Buzzworthy Cutie comes of age

Death Cab for Cutie seems poised for such an invasion of the indie rock scene; Spin magazine likened their last release to early-era Cure, applauding DCFC's achievement of a full, mature sound. And while they certainly deserve such accolades, DCFC is hardly the type of band that will explode onto the scene with a single album that reinvents rock music. Instead, DCFC's songs creep into one's consciousness, and The Photo Album establishes the band as a formidable presence.

Photo strengthens DCFC's status as a band that experiments with the straightforward verse-chorus-verse format while never abandoning its love for pop melodies. Although a product of the same Pacific Northwest scene that spawned Built to Spill and Modest Mouse, DCFC definitively divorces itself from these bands on Photo, as the new songs rely on the collective role of the band's members, which produces noticeable musical cohesion.

Picking up where the Forbidden Love EP left off, The Photo Album catches DCFC at their best: the well-crafted melodies of 1998's Something About Airplanes and 2000's We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes blend with the EP's emphasis on overall song structure to create an album that succeeds not only in its individual songs but also as a cohesive unit. While standout tracks such as "Title Track" and "Company Calls Epilogue" defined Facts with discrete moments of perfection, The Photo Album excels in its sustained momentum, fueling a consistency that Facts lacked.

DCFC has always written genuine songs that capture the complexity of emotion behind the most seemingly simple experiences. DCFC displays talented musicianship on The Photo Album; the songs reflect a level of instrumental mastery that engages the listener from start to finish. "Steadier Footing" opens the album with a sparse melody and minimalist rhythm section that mirror the indecision of Gibbard's lyrics: "This is the chance I never got...It just will not last." Serving as a prelude to the rest of the album, the track invites the musical response of the remaining songs.

Through their half-sung, half-spoken delivery, Gibbard's vocals effectively emit intensity without falling victim to the obnoxious angst of most emo vocals. Yet his simple delivery betrays the full impact of his lyrics, so Gibbard relies on his band's layered music to convey this complexity. The initial fuzz of distorted guitars in "Blacking Out the Friction" gradually fades until a simple piano riff remains, unveiling Gibbar's earnest, final confession of loneliness. Gibbard often allows his metaphors to stand on their own, as in the parallel he draws between the onset of winter and his own icy emotional detachment. In "I Was a Kaleidoscope," Gibbard braves this cold weather, dejectedly watching the kids left "outside until their noses were blue/And I got left there too."

A beautifully conceived record, The Photo Album combines lyrical sincerity with musical expertise. Starved critics can devour the album, but neither their praise nor censure will likely deter Death Cab for Cutie from their chosen course—to write superb songs that mask heartbreak and resignation in an immaculate web of pop sounds. (Barsuk)

—Julia Kripke

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