I haven’t written any reviews lately because I simply have not had a morsel of time to even think about any writing let alone actually sit down and put pen to paper, but this week has left me unable to do much else other than sit around, listen to music and read, so I thought I’d try to finally get back to some writing, too.

I know the inbox has some goodies waiting, but this happens to also be release week for Death Cab For Cutie’s I Built You A Tower and you know I can’t just pretend that I didn’t jump right into it when I woke up yesterday.

It’s their 11^th studio release and if you were to read certain other reviews, they seem to put a certain emphasis on the fact that these guys have been at this a minute as though that might imply their best work is behind them and I for one will never understand the logic there.

When you’re a collective well versed in your respective instruments (or in the case of Death Cab’s current line-up, many instruments) and you approach songwriting with a certain level of ingenuity and aim to deliver experiences with real impact, you’re not often going to miss. I don’t actually need to tell you that because you have Death Cab’s 10 other studio releases as my case studies, but I have just been boggled by how many outlets seem hellbent on assuming all my favourite bands peaked at their breakout hits some 10, 15 or 20 years ago when they’re all still running pretty strong machines today.

It’s probably some marketing thing, but this isn’t a real publication so we don’t abide by those weird rules here.

Anyways, back to the record.

TLDR;

Is it good? Yeah, it’s good. If you generally are not repulsed by Death Cab, there’s a lot you’ll like in here. If you’re a fan across many albums, you’ll be pleased to hear little sonic nods to Ben Gibbard’s earliest songwriting from albums like The Photo Album or Something About Airplanes right up to their most recent Asphalt Meadows, but never in a way that feels necessarily intentional or hacky – it’s just Ben’s style and on I Built You A Tower, it’s very clearly defined.

A Little Longer, Willing To Read;

(I didn’t actually intend on doing this sort of long track by track, but it’s what came out when I started thinking about the record, so it’s what you’re getting today).

Full of Stars

The opening track, Full of Stars, begins with just acoustic guitar and vocal which I’d argue is the place that Ben Gibbard really shines. The emphasis here is on his introspective lyrics rather than the carefully orchestrated arrangements of older fan favourite’s like I Will Possess Your Heart and it sets a more mature and ruminative tone for the album unlike any of the bands former releases.

As he softly repeats, “And all I need is for you to be kind, But it seems it’s rarely worth your time” I know that this record is right where I need it to be on a personal level and I’m calm and ready for whatever little ghost is hiding around the corner to take me on a journey through my own past and present.

The song picks up, but only delicately with the introduction of piano and some light drumming to remind us that this is a band and we’re about to welcome the rest of the guys back into the fold.

Punching the Flowers

Punching the Flowers might already be my favourite on the album, but I say that cautiously knowing I’ve already spent more time with this one as it’s one of the initial 3 singles dropped prior to the album release.

But that guitar line in the chorus and the sharp cut and precision of Jason McGerr’s drumming hits a real sweet spot in my eardrums. Couple that with the great melody of the chorus lyrics themselves and the almost industrial heavy alternative riffs and bass that power through the verses and yeah, you’ve got yourself a solid single by my measure. It’s addicting and catchy, compelling you enough listens to really catch the lyrics and say, “shit, I feel that.”

Lyrically this is probably one of my favourite’s across the entire board because Ben manages to tap into a lot of common themes but rework them in a way that inspires a lot room for contemplation. The highlight however falls in the bridge and is the only part of the track not dripping in delicious salty ocean and plant-based metaphors – it comes with a question without ever really asking it, as though none of us really require or want the answer.

“And I’m not sure which is worse;
If God laughs or he doesn’t
And I’m not sure which is worse;
If it was love or it wasn’t”

Maybe I’m just sensitive to the ideas given the challenges of also being a divorcee, but shit, I felt that.

And speaking of feelings…

Pep Talk

I don’t seek out Death Cab For Cutie when I need a good cry, but they’re pretty good at helping me release some tears even when I don’t really realize I’ve been holding them in.

Pep Talk is this album’s winner for being the first track to make me cry, but let’s be clear it’s not a competition, rather more a side effect or perhaps a complication of sorts of being a Death Cab fan. (They should really include a discretionary note on these album covers)

It’s funny because the track itself is like a summer breeze, carefree and casually trudging along a well paved path. If it were an instrumental it would evoke an entirely different set of feelings, but this is Ben Gibbard we’re listening to so of course it’s gotta be low key laced with a little bit of dread.

Is it because I’ve found myself feeling often at times some sort of incurable mess? Is it because of the entirely too pointed relation to waking up with the sun and struggling to get out of bed?

When I made the decision to record a cover album of DCfC’s Asphalt Meadows, I explained that I chose it because I felt for the first time in my long-standing relationship as a dutiful listener of Death Cab’s music that it was the first album that really seemed to meet me where I was in that moment, and now at this point in I Built A Tower I feel we’re still quite firmly clasped.

Hearing your own thoughts from someone else’s voice can have tremendous impact and I think that’s what I really felt on this one; it’s not just “I relate to this,” it’s “I completely understand and hear you,” and tears aside, I’m grateful to have it.

I Built You A Tower (a)

I Built You A Tower sort of brings me back to some earlier DCfC albums like Narrow Stairs and that’s something that occurs a few times over the course of this record, little moments in the compositions that still carry the spirit of the band’s earliest works only now more solidly defined. There’s a certain confidence in I Built You A Tower (the album) that I think is what makes it stand out from previous releases – yes, even more than Plans or Transatlanticism. Fight me.

As I said at the outset, Death Cab rarely misses the mark; they know how to write songs and you don’t need someone clattering away on a keyboard in Canada to reaffirm that, but when I listen to I Built You A Tower I’m vindicated in my decision to grab the album on pre-order without ever hearing a track from the record.

I Built You A Tower has a gleeful bounce to it that’s full of childlike wonder, something that Death Cab isn’t exactly known for but executes beautifully every time they allow themselves into this corner of vulnerability and at this point in the record, we appreciate its soothing nature.

Envy the Birds

Envy the Birds is a big standout track on this record. It shows Death Cab getting a little more eccentric and feeding into some of their more alternative influences. The bass lines grab you and pull you right in and they’re just cool as shit, they’re almost distracting on the first couple listens because you want to hear exactly where Nick Harmer’s going with it. The track sort of quickly simmers down into its ethereal chorus which provides a sharp contrast, but opens up the track in a really soulful way.

I’m jealous of great unexpected transitions like this as a fellow composer. It’s just very fucking cool and well executed.

When we enter the bridge and it’s recurring outro lyrics, “Speak without words
No one gets hurt” I can’t help but imagine this a nod to Depeche Mode’s Enjoy the Silence which Ben’s alter-ego band The Postal Service covered on their most recent Give Up/Transatlantisicm tour. If it is, it’s done so tastefully and I’m able to appreciate the clever tie-in.

There’s a really neat slide guitar bit that enters briefly just ahead of the final outro verses that brings a touch of Nashville-country into the mix and I just want to say I wouldn’t turn down a full-blown country record by these guys if they ever wanted to explore that, I think it’d work well and could be really interesting. I’ll settle for this brief bit here though as well. It almost shouldn’t make sense in this particular track but it feels right at home here.

Stone Over Water

Of the singles released ahead of this official record drop, Stone Over Water hits that familiar Death Cab For Cutie melodic sweet spot while feeling like a well maintained bridge from Asphalt Meadows.

A lot of the arrangements on this record in particular seemed to keep it all as simple as possible and avoided unnecessary layering which I personally really appreciate. Stone Over Water feels cozy like sipping coffee on your back porch at home and I just think that’s the style of production I’m most drawn to these days. Less is more again and I love how well I can hear all the elements that make up these tracks.

Lyrically, this is also a straight forward one that’ll easily be universally understood and undoubtedly resonate with many. As much as I love Ben’s more intricate wordplay, there is just something so captivating when the stories and feelings are unobstructed by the much more flowery language (if I may describe it as such) we know he’s keen to write. So far, I Built You A Tower has been a great balance of both.

How Heavenly A State

Sonically, How Heavenly A State is by far my favourite track on the record. The atmosphere it’s built is almost unexpected, but seems to have built on ideas we’ve seen and heard before, just now in a newer, more modern and unabashed way.

Again we’re treated to a more industrial-driven side of the band, but it’s blended beautifully with orchestral elements and ambient vocal breaks. If I could get just one breakdown of how one of these tracks came together and the tones driving its sound, this is the track I want the spreadsheet on.

I don’t even know what I want to highlight on this one. Is that Dave Depper’s wildin’ guitars? Is that even Dave? I can never be sure with this band, it could be any of them. I don’t know. Everything about this track makes me want to turn it back on again so I can listen more intently to the individual instruments and vocal effects because it’s just very fucking cool and just the right amount of weird.

Trap Door

This one’s another fast favourite of mine and another example of how the simplicity of these arrangements seem to reign above all else, like it’s not trying too hard to be any more than what it is and it’s so refreshing.

I love when the piano comes in just after the second chorus. That’s another Death Cab staple where they just seem to know exactly where to throw in a really simple keys progression that just adds a little bit of cinnamon to the mix and you’re like, “oh hell yeah, that’s nice.” Again I can’t be positive if it’s Zac Rae here, but I’m willing to believe it is cause he always seems to be such an intuitive player.

At least half of the time I listen to Death Cab for Cutie because I find their sound and Ben’s voice so soothing and Trap Door is a great showcasing of that.

Riptides

If memory serves me (and my brain has been a little wonky since the accident earlier this week so…) Riptides was the first track the band released as a single for this album and I seem to recall it had varied reviews, I guess because some people might have been expecting something a little more explosive.

But Riptides is a solid tune that holds that super clean indie rock sound the band has damn near mastered at this point and made wholly their own. Much like Trap Door, it isn’t trying to impress you and it knows exactly where it wants to be. The band was able to appropriately discern when and where the arrangement needed a little more, like those neat little staccato guitar beats in the choruses and the wide bridge that opens up before settling into a brief dreamlike instrumental. Those moments make the track pop and are that’ll have me coming back to listen to it again and again.

It’s a great example of how some lyrical content is best served when it matches the atmosphere of the instrumental. If they’d try to overdo it on this production while singing about being too worn down and tired from everything going on, it just wouldn’t work – and then you’d be well in your right to complain while also being concerned about how they didn’t catch that songwriting faux-pas sooner.

The Flavor of Metal

The title of this one gave me a bit of a chuckle. As I said, I Built You A Tower seems to be riding a similar emotional wave that I’ve been on personally and right now I’m sitting for the first time with a big string of metal holding my jawline together and it’s something I can’t go but a minute without thinking about.

That’s not what this track is about of course.

This is a solid album closer though (even if it’s not technically). The chorus vocal melody is arguably the most interesting out of the entire bunch and I once again find myself having one of those, “man that’s great, I wish I thought of that,” kind of moments which is a silly thought to have because how and when would I ever have thought of such a thing if not for listening to this right now?

The production kind of brings me back again to Narrow Stairs and maybe I’ve just been listening to that record in particular too much, but I’ve really enjoyed listening through I Built A Tower and the way that it makes me want to revisit the bands earlier releases to really hear the growth of the band.

Ending the record with The Flavour of Metal nicely brings fourth a nostalgic look at our youth (I too, feared and still on some level fear Bloody Mary and recall having to dump out all of our Halloween candy on the floor to be inspected by our parents for metal before consumption) and the production embraces that same feeling.

But despite the feelings it evokes, lyrically we find ourselves right alongside Ben as he contemplates about how, while true that it just takes a little faith or a little light to get through these darker times, sometimes we find ourselves in a place where knowing that doesn’t seem to be quite enough to help us through it and we’re just sort of stuck in this head space.

“It takes just a little light
It takes just a little light
To find its way through the cracks
On the darkest of nights
It takes just a little faith
It takes just a little faith
But nothing happens every time I pray”

What a bummer that we are so quick to understand and agree.

I Built You A Tower (b)

You’ve done it again, Death Cab. Just when I thought you couldn’t get any more clever you went ahead and did this.

Okay, so this is the true album closer but if you’re anything like me you genuinely laughed when you realized that I Built You A Tower (a) and (b) are in fact largely the same song, but whereas (a) was sort of summery and sweet, (b) is kind of manic and re-entering the caves of insanity of which we most certainly first emerged just before this record began.

And for that, I love it.

The song begins with the same initial intro verse, but whereas (a) is more of an ascension, (b) is a pretty dramatic and steep decline.

The most significant difference lyrically here is in the outro.

In (a) we get, “You’d run circles ’round
Circles ’round my brain

And now I cannot think
And now I cannot think of anything else
And now I cannot think
And now I cannot think of anyone else”

and it’s kind of cute because you can equate it to that feeling when you’re so infatuated with a person that you can’t help but think about them throughout your day. Been there!

But then in (b) we get,

“I’m learning how to
Live without you
But these ruminations
Are all about you

It makes me tired
So tired
It makes me tired
So tired
It makes me tired
So tired
It makes me tired
So tired”

It’s a complete juxtaposition and I’m a little obsessed with it. Been there, too.

10/10. No notes outside of what was discussed here. Will flip it over and listen again later.

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I Built You A Tower is now availble where music is sold and also streaming. Get into it.