Customer Reviews

Something About Airplanes

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Death Cab for Cutie's 1999 debut was simultaniously familiar and an expedition into brave new territory; in essence, a fuzzy lo-fi gem.

A few of the tracks here are gleaned from singer/guitarist/primary songwriter Ben Gibbard's demo tapes (You Can Play These Songs With Chords, rereleased by Barsuk in 2002), and the great tunesmithing found there is even better this time around. While that might form the core of the tracks, the newer songs are just as good.

"Bend to Squares" starts Something About Airplanes off on a good note, a swirling mix of distorted (as well as acoustic) guitars and cello. The next track, "President of What?", sounds like the Zombies on speed, complete with an extremely memorable organ line.

Yeah, a few of the tracks do blend together, but several listens will cement certain parts of the album into your mind permenantly: the "I'm definitely shaking" section on the power-popish "Pictures in an Exhibition"; the chiming electric guitar channel on the almost twangy "Sleep Spent"; the entire song "Amputations," one of the finest songs Gibbard has written; and the shoegazing swell of album closer "Line of Best Fit," in which the harmonized male/female vocals are near hypnotic over the throbbing guitars.

On the downside...there really isn't one. The lo-fi quality of the recording might be hard to take for someone not accustom to it, but the songs themselves are what really counts.

As far as what the band sounds like, I'd say they are far far far away from the "emo" tag many have wrongly labeled them with. The Built to Spill references aren't dead on either, but I will say Death Cab for Cutie could be compared to a more fuzzed out There's Nothing Wrong With Love-era BTS, minus Doug Martsch's guitar heroics.

Something About Airplanes is a melodic, creative, and lush album that is a great starting point for a wonderful band. I highly recommend it.

What a year 2008 is turning out to be for Death Cab for Cutie. Their latest album "Narrow Stairs" was generally well received, both critically and commercially, earlier this year, and now, just in time to wrap up the year, comes this re-release/deluxe edition of the band's debut album from 10 years ago, with a bonus live CD from that era.

"Something About Airplanes" (2 CDs; 17 tracks; 78 min.) first brings the original album (10 tracks; 43 min.), which was released in August, 1998. This is a very strong debut album, no question, and indeed it is astonishing to hear how solid the band sounds, keeping in mind that they only formed in the summer of 1997. All the elements that would eventually lift DCFC into the more mainstream are already visibly in place here: pensive, dynamic and atmospheric tracks. From the opening sounds of "Bend to Squares", on to outstanding gems like "Pictures in an Exhibition, to "Sleep Spent" to the epic closer "Line of Best Fit", it's all here. In fact, this album is stronger than its follow-up "We Have the Facts" album, but that's just my opinion...

CD2 (7 tracks; 34 min.) brings the band's entire show from Seattle's Crocodile Cafe in February, 1998, 6 months before the release of the "Airplanes" album, and it is an outstanding addition to the album. From the sound of it, there weren't a lot of people there that particular evening, but it's irrelevant really. The band plays a couple of their earliest tunes (such as "Your Bruise"), and also several tunes that would end up on the album such as "President of What?', "Fake Frown", "Amputations" and "Pictures in an Exhibition". It's fascinating to hear these versions and how they compare to the eventual studio tracks they'd become. The band is in good form throughout, with a lot of banter in between songs, just great.

In all, this is is a very worthwhile "Deluxe Reissue", even if you own the original album. I saw DCFC in concert again several times this year, and they just keep on getting bigger and better. Maybe some fans of the early years are cringing that DCFC is getting so much commercial acclaim these days, but they shouldn't really. Their success is hard earned and much deserved.

An interesting mix of inspired mellow rock and moody calm, Something About Airplanes is the highly listenable, infectious debut from Death Cab for Cutie, a band that has now released several other albums and enjoyed a moderate amount of success. From listening to this, it's not hard to see why. Death Cab is bouncier than Coldplay and calmer than Modest Mouse, finding a nice niche in between. "Bend To Squares" and "Your Bruise" have a gothic feel, while "President of What" and "Pictures in an Exhibition" are a little lighter feel to them. I wonder about how the band was spread around amongst so many people, since almost all of these tracks are too different to be played on radio. I can only think that it must have been word of mouth, because after hearing this, I had to tell everyone I knew about them. Hopefully my review will have convinced another listener unfamiliar with the group to buy this album and start listening to the band's other releases as well.

I love Death Cab, and Ben Gibbard is probably one of my favourite singers as of right now (who knows when that will change) However, this is a great album with some great songs, and an overall great cd for Death Cab. My opinion is most likely slanted since I bought Transatlanticism first, and with so much more to offer, this one seems a little weak, but its still definitley one of my favourites. It's a bit short, but well worth it.

Good cd, sugary sweet by any standards, but good nonetheless! Nothing wrong with having a pop sound. Personally I thought Transatlanticism was a bit better. Some people are afraid to like pop music becuase they are afraid that it's not "ïndie enough" for them. Some people are so wrapped up in being indie that they are missing out on good music. Like music for music and forget about what people say about it.

This is my favorite CD of all time. I didnt like this Cd the first few times i listened to it, but like pretty much all cds that stick with you, its an acquired taste. it seems I always like a CD more than this one at a time, but none of them last as long as this one. If you dont have a Death Cab cd yet- I'd get the Photo Album first. Develop a friendship with them before you buy it. But Gosh- buy it eventually. What a beautiful CD.

To tell the truth, I can see why this album is only getting 3.5 stars. Nothing this great can appeal to everyone. I can see how some fans may be turned off by the whole lo-fi thing. That said, I think that this is by far the best Death Cab album. The melodies are amazing and Ben's voice compliments them perfectly. I just saw him live with Postal Service last night and came to the conclusion that he has to be my favorite singer save Elliot Smith. My favorites are bend to squares, president of what, and the face that launched 1000 shts. I don't know why I can't type that when it says the full title on the track listings.

When you listen to a cd, why do you listen to it? Simply because it sounds cool, or you enjoy how it relaxes you, or it fits a certain atmosphere? If that's how you listen to cd's, don't bother getting this album. I wouldn't want you to. This album is best enjoyed by those who listen to something because they get the feeling inside of it. I don't know why so many people here call this album pop and lighthearted. I completely disagree. The lyrics are not particularly dark, as opposed to maybe, lyrics from Alice in Chains' "Dirt", but they aren't exactly happy either. I absolutely love them. "Sleep Spent" is a great song. There is a lot more to this album than everyone seems to let on. The key to DCFC's music is that it takes a lot of listening before you actually get it, and the emotional value begins to sink in. I have been listening for three years, and just in the last six months or so, has the meaning of their music, the emotion behind it, the depression, sadness, and confusion finally begin to show themselves through the tone of Ben's voice and the guitar riffs. I'm not suggesting this is a depressing album, in fact it's rather comforting. Most of their albums are.

It deeply upsets me that this album has a rating lower than five stars. Though the snipets you can sample here on Amazon.com don't really do the songs much justice, I bought the album and was hooked after the very first listen. Each song has its own color and feel and runs smoothly into the next. Anyone who is not familiar with Death Cab For Cutie and is thinking about buying this album, here is my advice : do it! If you are into this musical genre AT ALL you will LOVE this album. You will be supporting a great band and adding a sparkling jewel to your cd collection.

What a joy it is to be turned on or to discover music from an artist you're hearing for the first time. I literally stumbled onto Death Cab For Cutie, just passing time in an FYE. I picked up "Something About Airplanes" and thought I'd give a random listen. Needless to say, the incredible melodies, and compelling lyrical content immediately got me open. DCFC bears a strong resemblance to another favorite band of mine, Built To Spill. Lead singer Ben Gibbard's delivery is almost dead on for BTS's Doug Martsch's wailing, melancholy tone. That's a good thing to me, as the same things that drew me in to BTS also seemed to have me ready to expand the Death Cab collection to include their other releases. But S.A.A is a great place to start if you're new to this band like me, "Bend To Squares", "Champagne From A Paper Cup", and "Amputations" are all perfect examples of indy rock done right. The titles of the songs are something else. (The Face That Launched 1000 S****??) I've heard from a lot of DCFC fans who say that this isn't even close to their best album. (Plans was mentioned a lot) If that's the case, my pockets might be in real trouble. Looking forward to the next time they're in Philly!