Made up of such an empowering unit of musicians, Death Cab For Cutie has become a legendary emo act and over the years they’ve become more and more popular because of their emotional songs, which all come together like a bestselling novel. That’s all down to the lyrical content, words that move and conquer, that detail truths and desires. Ben Gibbard, who fronts this enigmatic outfit, has always let his words grow and then burst into the musical tone. The band’s discography is stronger than most. Take 2005’s Plans LP, for example. That album truly blazed a trail for this band and music as a whole. Those songs were worshipped by an avid fanbase, and they became sorrowful morsels, but also tracks that may have saved lives. And being truthful has always been in the band’s DNA, and their contributions have excelled under scrutiny too. So the act are back with Asphalt Meadows, which is an extension of their soft, sombre, musical output. It’s an album full of explanations, and blunt observations, with many of the songs describing days of wonder, though sometimes the music can be sad. This is an element we’ve come to expect to see, and it doesn’t become stale at any moment. The LP has 11 songs starting with ‘Here To Forever’ chimes in with a technical guitar riff, and Gibbard sings about God, and the pressures of life. His voice is dazzling here, and the lyrics explain so much clarity. ‘Pepper’ is an acoustic track which intelligently portrays love and that last kiss before oblivion. Gibbard looks for answers amidst the commotion. ‘Fragments From The Decade’ starts softly, and Gibbard sings, conveying a past fuelled by anger. The musical backbeat offers a different dimension, and the song is a highlight. Death Cab For Cutie doesn’t deter from their usual tones and subject. Asphalt Meadows is like the next piece of the puzzle, which fits together beautifully.
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