On the new Death Cab for Cutie album, Asphalt Meadows, the expected blend of emotions and musical moods occurs. The group, centered around Ben Gibbard, continues a journey started decades ago as an indie band. The sound's sharper now, the label a major (Atlantic Records), but somehow things still feel familiar here in 2022. Heartfelt, for lack of a better word, humanistic lyrics and a variety of instrumental attacks make this an interesting record. And, as my friend and contributor Stan Cierlitsky remarked, if you aren't willing to listen to the emotions that Gibbard's sharing, then you're likely listening to the wrong band. But, for me, Asphalt Meadows works because of the varied textures of the selections.
From the markedly New Order-ish vibes of the urgent title cut, and on to crashing mini-catharses of "Roman Candles", the first single here, this record pleases quickly. The band's really leaned heavily towards a more robust sound, and if "I Miss Strangers" and "Here to Forever" have a sleek propulsive energy about them, they're still anchored around Gibbard's heart-on-his-sleeve vocals and lyrics. I mean, The Killers sound like they take inspiration from New Order too, but they've never made a track that actually touches the soul like Death Cab do on a regular basis. But that's just my opinion.
And while lots of Asphalt Meadows churns with a deft blend of guitars, keyboards, bass, and synth-washes, there are moments of contemplation, the familiar bits where the emotions are laid bare, and the performers embrace the kind of vulnerability that marked their best, earlier work. "Fragments from the Decade" is quietly affecitng, even as closer "I'll Never Give Up on You" is a rapturous near-anthem, an outpouring of heart that's sort of emo in some sense, if not style. Still, the biggest sonic risk is taken here on "Foxglove Through the Clearcut", a largely spoken piece with guitar-lines and instrumental textures unlike lots of this band's prior work. I'd almost wish that more of Asphalt Meadows had taken similar chances, but the group's poured themselves into the process of making their emotional sound bigger and still intimate. I'd say they've succeeded here on Asphalt Meadows as some of this is as good as anything they've recorded in the past.
Asphalt Meadows is out on Friday, September 16.
More details on Death Cab for Cutie via the official website.
[Photo: Jimmy Fontaine]