Death Cab For Cutie
Transatlanticism (2003)

Review by: Dustin Pangonis
Date: 1/15/04

2003 was the year I discovered Ben Gibbard, and the year I decided he can do no wrong. He first lured me in with the Postal Service side project (comprised of Gibbard and Dntel,) and I was awed by the mixture of electronic music and tender indie rock. The synths and complex drum beats merely provided the perfect contrast for Gibbard's trademark lovelorn lyrics. It was a perfect solution of both sounds that made me forget they'd ever been separate.

But then I moved onto his full-time band, Death Cab For Cutie, and consequently forgot about the electronic sounds I'd been enjoying the month prior. Gibbard sports the ability to read lyrics that could be coming from his diary, yet manages to avoid sounding like a sappy emo singer.

Whether your tastes run toward electronic overtones or more straightforward indie rock, Ben Gibbard is eyeing a spot on your CD rack.