Thank You For Today is Death Cab For Cutie’s no-frills chill tribute to years past [Review]
Death Cab For Cutie have never been known for being overly hard-hitting, but the American alt-rock band take an even more relaxed approach on their ninth studio album, Thank You For Today.
Your Hurricane is the most thought-provoking song here, full of 90s emo-style guitar picking, and spacey echoes which build beautifully to the chorus, where frontman Ben Gibbard gently poses the question, “Who’s at fault for your mistakes?/ I won’t be the debris in your hurricane.”
Closer 60 & Punk is another highlight, with lyrics centred on feeling let down by your heroes. The gothic, detuned piano arpeggios help create a very touching moment which concludes the record.
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While this album is a sleepy, gentle affair, it is certainly far from boring. I Dreamt We Spoke Again contains some beautiful sweeping harmonies, while Summer Years is punctuated by a scatty, Radiohead-esque beat which ties perfectly with the sophisticated chord patterns.
Northern Lights and Near/Far are similarly 80s-tinged, and the most uptempo tracks, their jangly guitar parts reminiscent of heritage acts New Order or The Smiths.
Thank You For Today might not be full of frills, but it’d make the perfect soundtrack to a lazy Sunday.