Death Cab's latest is a mixed bag to be sure. There is a fair amount of experimentation, as seen in the stately, pounding "Bixby Canyon Bridge" and in the lonely slide riffs of the final track, but also plenty of what you would expect: standard DCFC pop songs. However the album is not perfect, as Gibbard's lyrics are too often called upon to save the day, keeping a few subpar songs afloat. Imperfections aside, the album is a nice listen as a whole, backing up Death Cab's growing reputation for churning out solid albums with no end in sight. |