Death Cab for Cutie – The Blue EP

By: Bri Bradley

Death Cab for Cutie is a band familiar to most. This alternative rock band was formed in Washington around the late 90’s. With 9 studio albums and 5 EP’s this band has been cranking out music since they came onto the scene and don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. They have been nominated for 8 Grammy’s and 4 MTV Video Music Awards. Their newest release titled The Blue-EP, features 5 songs coming in at 21 minutes long. Fans seemed to be loving this newest release, but I on the other hand, was underwhelmed.

Now don’t get me wrong, by no means is the EP horrible but it definitely didn’t draw me in and make me want to listen over and over again to any of the tracks. I didn’t find much diversity in any of the tracks and wasn’t impressed with the lyrical content either. I have always found Death Cab’s music to sound very similar and repetitive, which is exactly what this new EP proved to me. Slow and dreamy instrumentals with sweet like molasses vocals, to make up each track along with a few solid guitar solos. No track is too brutal to listen to, but the best way to describe this EP is underwhelming.

Death Cab experimented by creating a more whimsical, fresh sound on this EP and it was a hit with the majority of fans, but not many others. As someone coming in who is not a Death Cab super fan, I was hoping to be blown away, but I was met with a light breeze. I appreciate the musicality of the EP and the strong instrumentals, but with not much variety from each song to the next, it is hard to really get into the album from a non-loyal fan base. No one song blew me away, however I did enjoy “Before the Bombs” the most. The instrumentation, especially the guitar, impressed me and I enjoyed the more upbeat sound of the track compared to the others. I appreciate Death Cab for Cutie’s extensive discography and their individual sound they create, but this EP was not my cup of tea.

Favorite Song: “Before the Bombs”

Rating: 4/10