Lineup Change:
Ben Gibbard: Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Drums
Chris Walla: Guitar, Keyboards, Productions
Nick Harmer: Bass
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First, a technical note – drummer Nathan Good left in the middle of the sessions, and as such almost all of the drums are played by Ben Gibbard himself.
Death Cab's second album is formally rather similar to the debut, but there are some important changes here and there. The guitars generally make more distinct lines and feature tones more set to “glimmer” or “jangle” than “haze”. In addition, Ben Gibbard's vocal style is softer and more soothing – as it would be from here on out, generally – to suit the lyrical content of the album. Whereas Something About Airplanes primarily features angry indictments of nameless targets, We Have The Facts is more or less a concept album about a broken relationship – very fertile ground for a band like Death Cab. While there is an occasional bitter diatribe, most of the album is self-pitying and self-hatred. Ben Gibbard's vocal melodies are also a lot more immediate in general, and less obfuscated.
It's worth noting that Death Cab, for almost their entire existence, has asserted that We Have The Facts is their best album, and I can understand why. Most Death Cab albums are aimlessly melancholic, but no more than that – this one is downright suicidal. There's a certain desperation and longing to this album that really gives it an edge. I will admit that the sequencing isn't super great. While it's not really anymore languid than the debut, the slower songs tend to get grouped together in the second half, and as a result, We Have The Facts can really feel like it's dragging near the end. So, how can you tell if you'll like this album as much as Something About Airplanes? As in most things, the answer lies in Clouds Taste Metallic. Allow me to explain.
Clouds Taste Metallic and We Have The Facts are very similar in some key ways. They both feature songs which, when taken individually, are pretty hard to deny as being great (in my opinion). However, they're all roughly the same tempo and the same mood, all reaching for the same emotional centers. Thus, when grouped together in their respective albums, they tend to elicit one of two reactions – either “Yeah, these songs are cool, but man, does it start to drag” or an extremely primal, emotional response akin to some sort of spiritual experience. Basically, that was a very roundabout way of saying that, just like Clouds, if you're keyed in to this album's emotional frequency, you'll probably find it a masterpiece. If not, well, you'll probably still like it, if you don't hate Death Cab's style. DISCLAIMER: I am in no way saying We Have The Facts is as good as Clouds, simply drawing a comparison based on their similarities.
Because individually, these songs are pretty much entirely wonderful, although very difficult to talk about individually. The only one which doesn't really hold up is “Little Fury Bugs”, which is both the slowest track and the most devoid of interesting ideas. Unfortunately it sort of drags the album to a halt at just about the worst possible time. The good news is it's quickly redeemed by “Company Calls”, one of Death Cab's best and hookiest pop-rockers prior to Transatlanticism, which provides a much needed shot of energy in the second half.
Other than that, you'll basically get one song after another of gorgeous guitar interplay and vocal hooks. I guess some of my favorite moments are the “It's so appropriate/The way we amplify the sound” chorus of “The Employment Pages” - which I haven't gotten out of my head since the first time I heard it - the hyper-catchy “For What Reason” which manages to combine the gorgeousness of the slower numbers with the energy of something like “Company Calls,” and the closing “Scientist Studies,” with a very heart-tugging vocal melody and some great buildup along the lines of Something About Airplanes. But really, it's almost impossible to choose favorites. Even the lyrics actually aren't too bad – “I may have got an invitation but I wasn't invited” is a great line, for example, and I'm always struck by the bitterness of lines like “I hope that he keeps you up for weeks/Like you did to me.” At the worst, they're inobtrusive. No minors in Asia here.
Ultimately, I end up liking this one about as much as Something About Airplanes – maybe a little bit more, but not enough to make a difference in rating. I like the songs so much, I don't even notice the problems with album flow that I mentioned earlier, though I will readily admit that they do exist. Much like the debut, We Have The Facts is a definite grower, but not quite as extreme as that one. If you want to check out Death Cab's pre-Transatlanticism career, this is probably the best place to start.
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