"I took a little more of what I take for granted," a young Benjamin Gibbard hummed on the first track of Death Cab For Cutie's demo "You Can Play These Songs With Chords." "And filled my plate with fear that gears would turn / And wheels would roll away."
It's been nearly 18 years since that first solo cassette. Back then, Death Cab For Cutie consisted only of Gibbard, whose crisp, soothing vocals have carried the full band through eight albums and several tours.
The band's latest album, "Kintsugi," arrived on the heels of the news that the band's co-founder and producer Chris Walla would be leaving. While the announcement understandably left hoards of longtime fans distraught, "Kintsugi" has proven to be a lovely parting gift.
The energy of the album is pensive and nostalgic, leaving bittersweet traces of the signature sound the band has maintained from its conception. This is part of the beauty of Death Cab; its sound never changes too drastically, but each album takes the listener on a distinct journey. Kintsugi is no different.
For instance, "Little Wanderer" expresses the restless, lovelorn impatience of any long-distance relationship. It is one of the more memorable tracks on the album, a reminder of Death Cab's ability to take painful situations and express them in an authentic way that never feels overly melodramatic.
The same could be said for "You've Haunted Me All My Life," in which Gibbard croons, "So I wait but I never seem to learn / How to capture your diminishing returns." Songs about "the one that got away" are a dime a dozen, but this one does a particularly great job of expressing thoughts that are often difficult to put into words.
Not every song on the album is quite so lovelorn and nostalgic, but they all do an exceptional job of capturing the essence of true "Kintsugi," a Japanese method of pottery restoration.
As an art form, Kintsugi consists of using metallic lacquer to fix broken pottery. As a philosophical perspective, Kintsugi is an acceptance of the imperfect and a desire to enhance brokenness as an inevitable and humbling part of life.
In terms of the album, Kintsugi is perhaps representative of Death Cab's desire to reflect the silver lining in the wake of Walla's departure. Lyrics such as "Binary Sea's" "Lean in close or lend an ear / There's something brilliant bound to happen here," indirectly imply a recognition of the positive aspects of change.
When despair and confusion are lyrically present in "Kintsugi," so are traces of hope and motivation. Even in the darkness, Death Cab remains rhythmically gentle, especially in songs such as "Hold No Guns," where Gibbard prods, "My love, why do you run? / For my hands hold no guns."
"Black Sun," the album's first single, is a bit more melancholy, but does feature threads of hope and motivation. "There is an answer in a question / And there is hope within despair," Gibbard sings. "And there is beauty in a failure / And there are depths beyond compare."
In all of "Kintsugi's" emotional turmoil, there is an underlying balance and brightness that can be felt resonating throughout the entirety of Death Cab's discography. It's unclear what will become of the band as the effect of this change ripples out into the future, but this album is a strong place to start.
Reach the reporter at celina.jimenez@asu.edu or on Twitter @lina_lauren.
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