‘I won’t let the light fade’

The refrain from ‘Rand McNally’ feels less like a hopeful sentiment, and more a promise. To keep that light on for twenty-five years is an incredibly noteworthy accomplishment in its own - but to overdeliver on this promise, to redefine and rejuvenate a legendary career on the tenth LP, is something nearly entirely unheard of. With Asphalt Meadows, Death Cab for Cutie have done just that - and in the process, they have created one of the most impressive albums of their career.

Without mincing any words, Death Cab for Cutie have never sounded this loud. Album openers ‘I Don’t Know How I Survive’ and ‘Roman Candles’ are two of the most intense songs the band has ever crafted. The former revolves around quick and dramatic dynamic shifts from delicate to ballistic; while the latter is a brief, distorted powerhouse that often approaches disorienting without ever becoming overwhelming.

Tracks like ‘Asphalt Meadows’, ‘Here to Forever’, and ‘Wheat Like Waves’ are more centered around the timeless sound that Death Cab for Cutie have made their namesake. While they are more familiar-sounding cuts, there’s a confidence about these songs that is undeniable, and they provide much needed anchor points for the often-meandering tracks that complete Asphalt Meadows’ track list.

‘Foxglove Through the Clearcut’ shows Death Cab for Cutie flipping all expectations on their heads - producing a five-plus minute post-rock behemoth that gradually builds from calm and serene to an absolute wall of sound. The song serves as the perfect backdrop to vocalist Ben Gibbard doing something entirely new to the band - almost every line of this track is spoken. While storytelling is by no means a new thing for Death Cab for Cutie, this delivery provides an additional weight, resulting in a truly moving centerpiece for Asphalt Meadows.

The back half of Asphalt Meadows is equally formidable. ‘Pepper’ contains one of the most immediately catchy hooks of the band’s career; while ‘I Miss Strangers’ brings back the sound of much of the band’s pre-Transatlanticism output, only to add in an ethereal and hypnotic bridge to keep it from ever feeling like a repeated thought. Additionally, ‘Fragments from the Decade’ is a sparse and haunting track about reflecting on and letting go of pain, with the post-chorus guitar solo being one of the most captivating instrumental moments on the album.

Asphalt Meadows feels like a reset - one that is proud of where it came from, but boldly looks ahead to what’s next. A high point in a discography full of high points, Death Cab for Cutie have proved that they are not done writing classics, not anywhere close.

10/10