The Blue EP - Death Cab For Cutie: EP Review
are a now legendary indie pop and Northwest rock band who released some of the eras most essential material in the late 90's and throughout the 2000's. Albums like Transatlanticism and Plans are indie favorites from the 2000's and the band has a deep catalog of great music in records from before and after their most popular era. Though the groups two most recent albums have been some of the least critically acclaimed they both featured at least one excellent single and some worthwhile deep cuts, making the band still worth looking out for in 2019.
Review By Lavender:
It's been a long time, ten years exactly since I was really floored by a Death Cab record with 2009's Narrow Stairs. While the three records they've dropped since then haven't been perfect they have each had some degree of worthwhile tunes that have kept me coming back to the bands music but it is feeling less essential than ever in 2019. After their album last year fell a little bit short in the critical and commercial realms they decided to have a quick turnaround and drop an EP this year that will hopefully begin a comeback for the legendary group.
The EP opens up with To The Ground which in a classic Death Cab since immediately walks the line between emo music and indie music combining a midwest emo bassline and some edgy lyrics with the warm sentiment of Ben Gibbard's vocals. While the track does seem to have lyrics that would suggest something a little bit more intimate I can't deny enjoying the punchy drums that open the song up. The track is a steady build of an opener with a really great conclusion in its explosive final moments. Man In Blue is another track I enjoyed with the simplicity and intimacy that the group worked with in their earlier days and Ben's vocal performance is sweet and fitting for the track as a whole. Before The Bombs is another sweet song with a great hook that features some of my favorite singing on the record and a fuzzy breakdown in the instrumental that really steps out of the bands comfort zone even if briefly to formulates one of the more compelling tracks.
The two songs on here I'm less fond of have been some of the most talked about. Kids In '99 has surprised me with how popular it has gotten since it was released as a single. While it totally sounds like a Death Cab song it's more along the lines of one of the bands that spent the 2000's trying to rip them off than the bands best material. The track has a mind numbing instrumental bridge and while the hook is good the first time there is never really any progression to it as the track goes on and by the end of it I have no luster left for it. Blue Bloods is really the EP's low point, the track is just way too long and moves at an absolute snails pace and while there is certainly a ton of drama to the track and even some slick guitar work the track wastes way too much time.
The Blue EP is far from essential listening for anybody but the most die hard Death Cab fans. While the songs are decent they are far from the bands best work and fail to stand out in the grander scheme of things in 2019. But if you have a lust for the emo tinged indie of the 2000's then the record will certainly scratch that itch for you. 5/10
For more 2000's indie check out my review of The Hold Steady's Thrashing Thru The Passion here
