Kintsugi (album)

Last updated
Kintsugi
Death Cab For Cutie - Kintsugi.jpg
Studio album by
Death Cab for Cutie
ReleasedMarch 31, 2015 (2015-03-31)
Recorded2014
Genre
Length45:00
Label
Producer Rich Costey
Death Cab for Cutie chronology
Codes and Keys
(2011)		Kintsugi
(2015)		 Thank You for Today
(2018)
Singles from Kintsugi
  1. "Black Sun"
    Released: January 26, 2015
  2. "The Ghosts of Beverly Drive"
    Released: March 8, 2015
  3. "Good Help (Is So Hard to Find)"
    Released: April 8, 2016

Kintsugi is the eighth studio album by American indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released on March 31, 2015, on Atlantic Records. Recorded at Eldorado Recording Studios, in Burbank, California, Kintsugi is produced by Rich Costey, and is the first Death Cab for Cutie album to feature an outside producer. The album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 58th Grammy Awards. [1]

Contents

During the production of the album, lead guitarist and founding member Chris Walla announced that he was leaving the band, though he continued contributing to the recording and creative process as a full member until the album's completion. [2]

Production

The band first hinted that they were working on a follow-up to 2011's Codes and Keys by posting several photos of their studio and recording equipment to Instagram in October 2013. [3] [4] In October 2014, the band spoke to Stereogum about their then-untitled eighth album, their experience working with an outside producer, and Walla's departure. [5]

The album title is derived from kintsugi, a type of Japanese art involving fixing broken pottery, and as a philosophy of treating breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.

Composition

On the album, Gibbard returns to an evocative, revealing writing style he had avoided on prior albums, [6] and frequently refers to places versus people: "Culver City, Beverly Drive, "the cliffs of the Palisades" — each serves as a clearly defined setting on an album that looks beyond Gibbard's divorce to ponder the larger systems of power and privilege at work in L.A.," observed writer Mikael Wood. "No Room in Frame" addresses in general terms a decaying love, which widely interpreted as inspired by Gibbard's divorce from actress Zooey Deschanel. [7] [8] "The Ghosts of Beverly Drive" was written early on, [9] and focuses on Gibbard's time living in Los Angeles. In the song's chorus, Gibbard finds himself "return[ing] to the scene of these crimes, where the hedgerows slowly wind." [10] "Little Wanderer" expresses hope for a love across distance, ending with an embrace in an airport. [11] Walla was reportedly not a fan of the acoustic "Hold No Guns", and suggested it should be withheld from the album, but was overruled. [6]

Gibbard based the celebrity critique "Good Help (Is So Hard to Find)" on an amalgam of individuals he met living in Hollywood. [7] [12]

Release

The album's title, track listing, and artwork were revealed via social media on January 12, 2015, with the song "Black Sun" to be released as the lead single from the album. [13] The songs "Black Sun", "The Ghosts of Beverly Drive", and "No Room in Frame", received their live debut during a performance at The Crocodile in Seattle on January 20, 2015, two months prior to the album's release. Black Sun was officially released on January 26, 2015, following several weeks of snippets of lyrics being posted on various social media sites and the official website.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.4/10 [14]
Metacritic 67/100 [15]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [16]
The A.V. Club B+ [17]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [18]
Entertainment Weekly B− [19]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [20]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [21]
Pitchfork 5.5/10 [22]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [23]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [24]
Spin 6/10 [25]

Kintsugi has received mostly positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating determined by a "weighted average" of reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 67 out of 100, based on 30 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [15]

In a three and a half out of five star review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic claims: "Most of Kintsugi shimmers upon a gloss constructed out of new wave remnants and faded memories of yacht rock." [16] Writing for Consequence of Sound and giving the album a "C−" rating, Philip Cosores states: "There are moments of radio-ready bliss, a few songs with lyrics that slowly become affecting, a handful of forgettable diversions, and some expected trite, misguided nonsense." [26] Lanre Bakare of The Guardian gave the album three stars out of five and writes: "Sometimes it's too overwrought and wanders into clichéd territory." [20] Writing for Exclaim! , James Smith felt that "Kintsugi...is a return to form for the band," citing an extra dimension added by blending "lush arrangements...with electronic flourishes" though "the band takes these new elements too far, with underwhelming results." [27]

Accolades

YearAssociationCategoryResult
2016 Grammy Awards [1] Best Rock AlbumNominated

Track listing

All songs written by Benjamin Gibbard, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."No Room in Frame"Gibbard, Harmer4:05
2."Black Sun" 4:49
3."The Ghosts of Beverly Drive" 4:04
4."Little Wanderer" 4:19
5."You've Haunted Me All My Life" 4:08
6."Hold No Guns" 3:03
7."Everything's a Ceiling" 3:41
8."Good Help (Is So Hard to Find)" 4:47
9."El Dorado" 3:38
10."Ingénue"Gibbard, McGerr, Walla4:31
11."Binary Sea" 4:05
Total length:45:00

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic: [28]

Death Cab for Cutie
Production

Commercial performance

Kintsugi debuted at No. 8 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 56,000 copies in its first week. It's the fourth Death Cab for Cutie album to enter the Billboard 200's top 10. [29] In Canada, the album debuted at No. 5 on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 4,800 copies. [30]

Charts

Release history

Source: Amazon.com [45]

RegionDateFormat(s)Label
United StatesMarch 31, 2015
 Atlantic

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death Cab for Cutie</span> American rock band

Death Cab for Cutie is an American rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. Death Cab for Cutie's music has been classified as indie rock, indie pop, and alternative rock. The band is currently composed of Ben Gibbard, Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper, Zac Rae, and Jason McGerr (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Gibbard</span> American musician (born 1976)

Benjamin Gibbard is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, with whom he has recorded ten studio albums, and as a member of the supergroup The Postal Service. Gibbard released his debut solo album, Former Lives, in 2012, and a collaborative studio album, One Fast Move or I'm Gone (2009) with Jay Farrar.

<i>Something About Airplanes</i> 1998 studio album by Death Cab for Cutie

Something About Airplanes is the debut studio album by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released August 18, 1998, on Barsuk Records. A tenth-anniversary edition of the album was released November 25, 2008, featuring redesigned artwork, liner notes by Sean Nelson, and a bonus disc including the band's first ever Seattle performance at the Crocodile Cafe in February 1998.

<i>Transatlanticism</i> 2003 studio album by Death Cab for Cutie

Transatlanticism is the fourth studio album by rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released on October 7, 2003, by Barsuk Records. At this point in their career, the group had toured and recorded for nearly a half-decade. With tensions rising, the band decided to take time away from one another; notably, Ben Gibbard collaborated with electronic musician Dntel, and released an album, Give Up, under the name the Postal Service. Death Cab regrouped in late 2002 to create Transatlanticism, which was recorded in a leisurely manner over five-day stretches until June 2003.

<i>We Have the Facts and Were Voting Yes</i> 2000 studio album by Death Cab for Cutie

We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes is the second studio album by American rock band Death Cab for Cutie. It was released on March 21, 2000, through Barsuk Records. The band, which originally included singer-songwriter Ben Gibbard, guitarist/producer Chris Walla, bassist Nick Harmer, and drummer Nathan Good, formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. Their debut studio album, Something About Airplanes, was released in 1998 through Barsuk, after which Good exited the band. Between the two albums, both Gibbard and Walla released music via side projects, ¡All-Time Quarterback! and Martin Youth Auxiliary, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Walla</span> American musician

Christopher Ryan Walla is an American musician, record producer, and film music composer, best known for being a former guitarist and songwriter for the band Death Cab for Cutie.

<i>Plans</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Death Cab for Cutie

Plans is the fifth studio album by American rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released August 30, 2005 on Atlantic Records. Emerging from the Pacific Northwest in the early 2000s, Death Cab first rose to prominence on the strength of its confessional lyricism and textured indie rock sound. Following a longstanding partnership with indie label Barsuk, the band made the leap to a major label, Atlantic, for Plans. The LP was the band's first time recording outside of their Seattle home; it was produced at Long View Farm, a rural Massachusetts property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crooked Teeth (Death Cab for Cutie song)</span> 2006 single by Death Cab for Cutie

"Crooked Teeth" is a song by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, the second single from their 2005 album, Plans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Will Follow You into the Dark</span> 2005 single by Death Cab for Cutie

"I Will Follow You into the Dark" is a song by American rock band Death Cab for Cutie, the third single from their fifth album, Plans, released in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soul Meets Body</span> 2005 single by Death Cab for Cutie

"Soul Meets Body" is a song recorded by the American rock band Death Cab for Cutie for their fifth studio album Plans (2005). It was released as the lead single from Plans in 2005, through Atlantic Records. Death Cab for Cutie emerged from the Pacific Northwest in the early aughts and built a following with its confessional lyricism and straightforward indie rock sound. "Soul Meets Body" was their first single for Atlantic, the major label with which they signed in 2004. The song is thematically existential, examining the intersection of soul and body though a relationship metaphor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Movie Script Ending</span> 2002 single by Death Cab for Cutie

"A Movie Script Ending" is a song recorded by the American rock band Death Cab for Cutie for their third studio album, The Photo Album (2001). It was released as the lead single from The Photo Album on February 8, 2002 through Barsuk Records.

<i>Narrow Stairs</i> 2008 studio album by Death Cab for Cutie

Narrow Stairs is the sixth studio album by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released on May 12, 2008, in the United Kingdom and on May 13, 2008, in the United States, on Atlantic and Barsuk Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Will Possess Your Heart</span> 2008 single by Death Cab for Cutie

"I Will Possess Your Heart" is an alternative rock song recorded by the American band Death Cab for Cutie. The song depicts a one-sided obsessive relationship, which led Paste to name it one of the 25 creepiest songs about love. It is notable for its five-minute instrumental introduction as well as its music video which required location shooting across four continents. The song was the lead single from their sixth studio album, Narrow Stairs (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death Cab for Cutie discography</span>

Death Cab for Cutie has released ten studio albums, five extended plays (EPs), a demo tape, a digital album, one live album, thirty-two singles, nine music videos, and two DVDs. Death Cab for Cutie is an American indie rock group from Bellingham, Washington and was formed in 1997 by Ben Gibbard as a side project from Pinwheel. After releasing a demo tape, he added guitarist Chris Walla, bassist Nick Harmer, and drummer Nathan Good to the band. Death Cab signed to Barsuk Records and released four extended plays (EPs) and four studio albums through the label. The fourth album, Transatlanticism, reached number 97 on the Billboard 200 and was eventually certified gold in the United States. The group also issued nine singles and a demo tape through Barsuk.

<i>Codes and Keys</i> 2011 studio album by Death Cab for Cutie

Codes and Keys is the seventh studio album by Death Cab for Cutie, released on May 31, 2011. Ben Gibbard and Nick Harmer have both been quoted as saying that the album will be "a much less guitar-centric album than we've ever made before". The first single, "You Are a Tourist", was made available for online stream on March 28, 2011 on the band's official site and the album was available for streaming in its entirety on May 23, 2011 on NPR. The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, with 102,000 copies sold in its first week. It has sold 283,000 copies in the US as of March 2015. On November 30, 2011, the album received a nomination at the 54th Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ghosts of Beverly Drive</span> 2015 single by Death Cab for Cutie

"The Ghosts of Beverly Drive" is a song by American rock band Death Cab for Cutie. It is the second single from their eighth studio album Kintsugi. The driving, uptempo track explores themes of loss in the aftermath of heartbreak. Frontman Ben Gibbard wrote the song after his divorce from actress Zooey Deschanel, and the lyrics of the song directly reference Beverly Hills and what he viewed as its vapid celebrity culture.

<i>Thank You for Today</i> 2018 studio album by Death Cab for Cutie

Thank You for Today is the ninth studio album by American indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie. The album was released on August 17, 2018, on Atlantic Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold Rush (song)</span> 2018 single by Death Cab for Cutie

Gold Rush is a song by American indie pop band Death Cab for Cutie, released as the lead single for their ninth studio album, Thank You for Today, on June 13, 2018.

<i>Asphalt Meadows</i> 2022 studio album by Death Cab for Cutie

Asphalt Meadows is the tenth studio album by American rock band Death Cab for Cutie. It was released on September 16, 2022, through Atlantic Records.

"Stay Young, Go Dancing" is a song recorded by the American rock band Death Cab for Cutie for their seventh studio album, Codes and Keys (2011). It was released as the third single from Codes and Keys on September 26, 2011, through Atlantic Records.

References

  1. 1 2 Cadden, Mary (February 16, 2016). "List: Who won what at the 58th annual Grammys". USA Today . Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  2. ↑ Walla, Chris (Aug 13, 2014). "Why I'm Leaving Death Cab for Cutie". Archived from the original on 2014-08-16. Retrieved Jan 17, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Paintbrushes. #inthestudio #deathcab". Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved Jan 17, 2015.
  4. ↑ "#inthestudio #deathcab". Archived from the original on 2021-12-25. Retrieved Jan 17, 2015.
  5. ↑ Rachel, T. Cole (Oct 23, 2014). "Q&A: Death Cab For Cutie Preview Their Final Album With Chris Walla" . Retrieved Jan 17, 2015.
  6. 1 2 McGovern, Kyle (April 3, 2015). "Q&A: Death Cab for Cutie Unpack Chris Walla's Departure and New Album 'Kintsugi'". SPIN. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Wood, Mikael (March 31, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard steps through the fire". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  8. ↑ Leon, Melissa (April 14, 2017). "Death Cab for Cutie Frontman Ben Gibbard Slams Indiana and Talks Divorce". The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  9. ↑ Villano, Alexa (April 16, 2015). "Death Cab For Cutie drummer Jason McGerr on old favorites, new music". RAPPLER. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Review: Death Cab for Cutie returns to an L.A. that almost broke them". Los Angeles Times. July 13, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  11. ↑ Reed, Ryan (March 16, 2015). "Hear Death Cab for Cutie's Melancholy 'Little Wanderer'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  12. ↑ Partridge, Kenneth (April 3, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard Opens Up About Ex Zooey Deschanel, Celebrity 'Psychoses' and Why the Band Is in a 'Sweet Spot'". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  13. ↑ Montgomery, James (Jan 12, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie Reveal Symbolic Title of 'Evocative' New Album". Rolling Stone . Retrieved Jan 17, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Kintsugi by Death Cab For Cutie reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  15. 1 2 "Reviews for Kintsugi by Death Cab for Cutie". Metacritic . Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  16. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Kintsugi – Death Cab for Cutie". AllMusic . Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  17. ↑ McCown, Alex (March 31, 2015). "Review: On Kintsugi, Death Cab For Cutie regains intimacy and embraces synth flourishes". The A.V. Club . Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  18. ↑ Kot, Greg (March 30, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie finds austere beauty in a breakup". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  19. ↑ Anderson, Kyle (April 3, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie: Kintsugi". Entertainment Weekly . p. 61.
  20. 1 2 Bakare, Lanre (March 26, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie: Kintsugi review – melancholy music for arenas". The Guardian . Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Death Cab for Cutie: Kintsugi". Mojo (257): 94. April 2015.
  22. ↑ Cohen, Ian (April 2, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie: Kintsugi". Pitchfork . Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  23. ↑ Doyle, Tom (April 2015). "Middle Ranking". Q (345): 110.
  24. ↑ Grow, Kory (March 31, 2015). "Kintsugi". Rolling Stone . Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  25. ↑ Brodsky, Rachel (April 3, 2015). "Review: Death Cab for Cutie Navigate Chilly Waters on 'Kintsugi'". Spin . Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  26. ↑ Cosores, Philip (March 27, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie – Kintsugi". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  27. ↑ Smith, James (April 2, 2015). "Death Cab For Cutie – Kintsugi". Exclaim! . Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Kintsugi – Death Cab for Cutie – Credits". AllMusic . Rovi Corporation . Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  29. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (April 8, 2015). "Wale Rules With Second No. 1 Album, 'Furious 7' Soundtrack Drives to No. 2". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  30. ↑ Cross, Alan (April 9, 2015). "Weekly Music Sales Report and Analysis: 08 April 2015" . Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Death Cab for Cutie – Kintsugi". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  32. ↑ "Death Cab for Cutie Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  33. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Death Cab for Cutie – Kintsugi" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Death Cab for Cutie – Kintsugi" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  36. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2015. 14. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  37. ↑ "Charts.nz – Death Cab for Cutie – Kintsugi". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  38. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  39. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Death Cab for Cutie – Kintsugi". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  41. ↑ "Death Cab for Cutie Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Death Cab for Cutie Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  43. ↑ "Death Cab for Cutie Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
  44. ↑ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2015". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  45. ↑ "Death Cab for Cutie: Kintsugi: Music". ASIN   B00SJ9UEGE . Retrieved March 26, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.