Change is a constant in life, we have people entering and leaving our lives as we continue to make the best lives we can.
Dealing with these emotions can be stressful, and at times some cannot be done without doing something to relieve the pressure,
After four years without an album, a divorce from his then wife Zoey Dechannel and original guitartist and founding member Chris Walla, Ben Gibbard and his band Death Cab for Cutie have taken what was left and created something that is beyond what the band has put out in years.
The new album’s title, Kintsugi, refers to a Japanese technique for repairing broken pottery that uses the cracks and break lines as a way to enhance the visual of the pottery.
This is a title that becomes more an more appropriate with songs like “No Room in Frame” acknowledging the breaks that Gibbard has gone through, with lyrics like “Was I in your way when the cameras turned to face you?” and “Hold No Guns,” arguably the quietest song on the album.
Its striking line “cause numbers change and people fall and friends they always splinter.”
The title comes back into play with the overall tone of the album.
While the subject matter may seem said on the surface, the beats feature synth tunes and upbeat guitar.
In stead of wallowing in their self-pity and loss, the band has come together to embrace the loss and move forward. The cracks become a part of the image, and the band creates a melancholy sadness.
In that acceptance lies the greatest strength of Kintsugi, as the melody of songs creates a feeling that is somehow simultaneously familiar and new.
The sounds, while not minimalist, harkens back to the critically acclaimed albums Transatlanticisim and Plans by being a way to express the band’s true feeling while keeping the songs not only good for radio play (Black Sun being the obvious choice, with Good Help a likely contender as well) but well enough lyrically to warrant a closer listen.
If Kintsugi is truely an evolution for the band, then they are headed in the right direction.
Kintsugi not only receives a five out of five, but also may go down as the best album from Death Cab.
