Death Cab For Cutie - Kintsugi

 

Death Cab For Cutie

Kintsugi

2015

Death Cab for Cutie have reemerged with their new album Kintsugi (Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum). The album is aptly named as Gibbard and the boys create an album that is more about putting the pieces together and moving forward as a human than finding love or following anyone into any darkness. One of the incredible things about Death Cab is their ability to be ageless. I can listen to Transatlanticism today and put it right up with Kintsugi and there is no love lost to time, no sense of anything feeling dated or out of place. This record is full of heart from start to finish and the clearness of Gibbard's voice only highlights the fact that He has something to say and wants you to listen. This album is more bare bones, the intense synth flourishes are still there but in a much more understated way.

"The Ghosts of Beverly Drive" is my favorite track off the album and really highlights everything great about Death Cab. There is the extending guitar rift, the constant drum beat and of course that incredible writing. For me the album does suffer a bit in the final third. The songs seems to kind of blend together rather than stand out on their own and they become a bit jumbled and lost. I found myself less invested as I approached the end and then was a bit shocked when the album abruptly ended. For all the emo shade that Death Cab takes one thing remains very true, they write simple, beautiful and engaging music. Kintsugi is a must listen, get  into ti.

8 out of 10