The fact that Elsinor and Barsuk, two relatively small labels, conspired to co-release Something About Airplanes should give some indication as to its quality.
It's a solid, emotive, and frequently amazing indie rock record that foreshadows Death Cab for Cutie's eventual ascent into the mainstream.
Sonically, the band falls somewhere on the dreamier and more pop-oriented end of Built to Spill's sound (particularly on Keep It Like a Secret), alongside the Posies' most pensive tracks, or with Delta Haymax -- that is, dynamic, melodic, and somewhat atmospheric Northwestern rock.
What's important, however, is that the composition, arrangement, and perfect vocal harmonies of Something About Airplanes are all hugely effective; the band uses light touches of flute, synth, or cello to add the necessary textures to its well-crafted pop songs, and the result has a consistently impressive and thoroughly engaging quality that rivals Built to Spill's Keep It Like a Secret.
Which is quite a complement -- but tracks like "Bend to Squares" and "Pictures in an Exhibition" deserve as much adulation as one can offer.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bend to SquaresBen Gibbard, Chris Walla | Death Cab for Cutie | Play | 04:33 | 10 MB | 28 MB |
| 2 | President of What?Ben Gibbard | Death Cab for Cutie | Play | 04:01 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 3 | Champagne from a Paper CupBen Gibbard | Death Cab for Cutie | Play | 02:39 | 6 MB | 15 MB |
| 4 | Your BruiseBen Gibbard, Chris Walla | Death Cab for Cutie | Play | 04:19 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 5 | Pictures in an ExhibitionBen Gibbard | Death Cab for Cutie | Play | 03:49 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 6 | Sleep SpentBen Gibbard, Chris Walla | Death Cab for Cutie | Play | 03:37 | 8 MB | 19 MB |
| 7 | The Face That Launched 1000 ShitsJay Chilcote | Death Cab for Cutie | Play | 03:41 | 8 MB | 18 MB |
| 8 | AmputationsBen Gibbard | Death Cab for Cutie | Play | 04:54 | 11 MB | 28 MB |
| 9 | Fake FrownsBen Gibbard, Chris Walla | Death Cab for Cutie | Play | 04:30 | 10 MB | 29 MB |
| 10 | Line of Best FitBen Gibbard | Death Cab for Cutie | Play | 07:16 | 16 MB | 41 MB |
| 11 | Your Bruise (Live) | Death Cab For Cutie | Play | 05:01 | 11 MB | 26 MB |
| 12 | President Of What? (Live) | Death Cab For Cutie | Play | 04:32 | 10 MB | 26 MB |
| 13 | Fake Frowns (Live) | Death Cab For Cutie | Play | 05:03 | 11 MB | 30 MB |
| 14 | Sweet And Tender Hooligan (Live) | Death Cab For Cutie | Play | 03:33 | 8 MB | 18 MB |
| 15 | State Street Residential (Live) | Death Cab For Cutie | Play | 06:55 | 15 MB | 36 MB |
| 16 | Amputations (Live) | Death Cab For Cutie | Play | 04:36 | 10 MB | 25 MB |
| 17 | Pictures In An Exhibition (Live) | Death Cab For Cutie | Play | 03:45 | 8 MB | 22 MB |
| 76 mins | 176 MB | |||||
| 76 mins | 441 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jay Chilcote | Composer |
| 2 | Death Cab for Cutie | Primary Artist |
| 3 | Ben Gibbard | Composer |
| 4 | Chris Walla | Composer, Engineer, Producer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |