Note: this is not a review of the original Transatlanticism album, but instead a take on the demos accompanying the newly released 10th anniversary edition.
It's been ten years since Death Cab for Cutie released their expansive, beloved final "indie" album, Transatlanticism. A collection of demos has been gathered to accompany the celebratory ten-year edition, and while the album itself might be a young classic of sorts, it is the demos that seem to be gathering the most interest.
Most of the demos are more insightful than enjoyable, but some rise far beyond mere fan-pandering. The breaths, clicks, and beat-boxing on the "Lightness" demo in some ways stand stronger than the final recording itself. The greatly altered lyrics on a mostly acoustic (banjo-inflected!) "Title and Registration" are equally fascinating, if not understandably replaced. Elsewhere, the surprisingly slowed-down "Sound of Settling" provides a curiously wonderful alternative to the familiar poppy take. The album's most epic songs (the title track; "We Looked Like Giants"), however, suffer the most in demo-mode, featuring intrusive synths and drum machines.
For fans of Death Cab for Cutie (or even just of the original Transatlanticism), it would be impossible to call the release of the early recordings a disappointment. Rarely have demos provided such a glimpse into a record's development. All of the band's lyrical reconsiderations, tempo adjustments, and changes in production tactics are nakedly presented. Those longing for a look at Transatlanticism's childhood have been granted it, for better than worse.
Grade: B+
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