The Photo Album

Last updated

The Photo Album
DeathCabPhotoAlbum.jpg
Studio album by
Death Cab for Cutie
ReleasedOctober 9, 2001
Recorded2001
Studio Hall of Justice (Seattle)
Genre
Length38:51
Label Barsuk/Fierce Panda
Producer Chris Walla
Death Cab for Cutie chronology
We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes
(2000)		The Photo Album
(2001)		 The Stability EP
(2002)
Singles from The Photo Album
  1. "A Movie Script Ending"
    Released: February 8, 2002
  2. "I Was a Kaleidoscope"
    Released: October 15, 2002
  3. "We Laugh Indoors"
    Released: October 29, 2002

The Photo Album is the third studio album by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released October 9, 2001 on Barsuk Records.

Contents

The albums spawned three singles: "A Movie Script Ending", "I Was a Kaleidoscope", and "We Laugh Indoors". All of the singles charted on the UK Singles Chart, with the highest-charting song "I Was a Kaleidoscope" peaking at number 115. The Photo Album was the first Death Cab for Cutie album to feature charting songs, with "A Movie Script Ending" also becoming the first of three songs by the band to eventually feature on the television show The O.C. . It was the only full-length album to feature drummer Michael Schorr.

A limited edition extended play called The Stability EP was released in early 2002, containing bonus tracks from the limited edition and Japanese versions of The Photo Album. [1]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 75/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Alternative Press 8/10 [4]
The Austin Chronicle Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Boston Phoenix Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
NME 8/10 [7]
Pitchfork 7.1/10 [8]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [10]
Spin 7/10 [11]
Under the Radar 8/10 [12]

The Photo Album holds a score of 75 out of 100 from the review aggregating site Metacritic based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [2] John D. Luerssen of Billboard gave the album a very favorable review and said, "If it's true that music of this nature doesn't get anymore heartfelt, it also rarely gets more infectious." [13] Mojo wrote that the band "weave together smartly taut guitars with vivid observational lyrics to create perfectly crafted pop songs, stunning in their simplicity and beauty", [14] while Alternative Press called the album "the skillful meshing of Benjamin Gibbard's part-stream-of-consciousness, part-confessional vocals with melancholy piano and achingly melodic guitars that reveal a fleshed-out Cutie are indeed a band of uncommon beauty." [4] Nude as the News gave it a score of eight out of ten and stated, "While not every song is a gem, the ones that are have pushed the band's already high standard of compelling indie pop one notch higher." [2] Neumu.net gave it seven stars out of ten and called it "evidence of a band that's maturing, slowing down and trying new things." [15] Drawer B gave it a positive review and stated, "The most noteworthy aspect of The Photo Album is the band's upward trajectory. The music is cohesive and even, though still somewhat sluggish." [16]

In a mixed assessment, Stephen Thompson of The A.V. Club wrote that the album "is often marked by pleasant but static, middle-of-the-road material." [17] Melanie Haupt of The Austin Chronicle said, "It's a rare talent that can express such emotions so concisely; even more rare is the ability to deliver them in a near-whisper rather than a scream." [5] Q wrote, "Full of beautiful pop songs, The Photo Album is just that—a collection of vignettes." [9] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave the album a three-star honorable mention rating, indicating "an enjoyable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well treasure". [18] [19]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Steadier Footing" Ben Gibbard 1:47
2."A Movie Script Ending"Gibbard4:19
3."We Laugh Indoors"Gibbard, Nick Harmer, Chris Walla 4:58
4."Information Travels Faster"Gibbard, Walla4:02
5."Why You'd Want to Live Here"Gibbard4:44
6."Blacking Out the Friction"Gibbard3:27
7."I Was a Kaleidoscope"Gibbard, Walla2:50
8."Styrofoam Plates"Gibbard, Harmer, Walla5:24
9."Coney Island"Gibbard2:40
10."Debate Exposes Doubt"Gibbard, Walla4:36
Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
11."Gridlock Caravans" (also track 6 on LP edition and found on the UK bonus disc) 
Japanese and limited edition bonus tracks (also on The Stability EP )
No.TitleLength
12."20th Century Towers" (Gibbard/Harmer/Walla) 
13."All Is Full of Love" (Björk Guðmundsdóttir) 
14."Stability" (Gibbard/Walla) 

Personnel

Death Cab for Cutie

Additional personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Postal Service</span> American indie rock band

The Postal Service is an American indie pop supergroup from Seattle, Washington, consisting of singer Ben Gibbard, producer Jimmy Tamborello, and Jenny Lewis on background vocals.

<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.

<i>You Can Play These Songs with Chords</i> Demo album by Death Cab for Cutie

You Can Play These Songs with Chords is an early (1996-97) demo from the rock band Death Cab for Cutie, which at the time consisted entirely of founder Ben Gibbard. This demo was originally released on cassette by Elsinor Records. It proved so popular, Gibbard recruited other musicians to make a full band, which would go on to record Something About Airplanes, the band's debut studio album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">¡All-Time Quarterback!</span> Solo side-project of Ben Gibbard

All-Time Quarterback was a solo side-project of Ben Gibbard, best known as the singer/guitarist for Death Cab for Cutie and as one third of the Postal Service.

<i>The Stability EP</i> 2002 EP by Death Cab for Cutie

The Stability EP is a limited edition EP by Indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, released February 19, 2002. The release marks the final appearance of drummer Michael Schorr.

<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 tracked at Long View Farm, a rural Massachusetts property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason McGerr</span> American drummer

Jason McGerr is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie.

<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 on August 30, 2005.

<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.

<i>The Open Door EP</i> 2009 EP by Death Cab for Cutie

The Open Door EP is an extended play by band Death Cab for Cutie, comprising songs recorded during the Narrow Stairs sessions and a demo version of the track "Talking Bird" from the album.

<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.

<i>Kintsugi</i> (album) 2015 studio album by Death Cab for Cutie

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.

<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.

<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.

References

  1. ↑ "Death Cab for Cutie: The Stability EP". October 5, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Reviews for The Photo Album by Death Cab for Cutie". Metacritic . Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  3. ↑ Rabid, Jack. "The Photo Album – Death Cab for Cutie". AllMusic . Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Death Cab for Cutie: The Photo Album". Alternative Press (161): 79. December 2001.
  5. 1 2 Haupt, Melanie (November 9, 2001). "Death Cab for Cutie: The Photo Album (Barsuk)". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  6. ↑ Wood, Mikael (November 8–15, 2001). "Death Cab for Cutie: The Photo Album (Barsuk)". The Boston Phoenix . Archived from the original on June 28, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  7. ↑ Alexander, Jim (March 5, 2002). "Death Cab For Cutie : The Photo Album". NME . London. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  8. ↑ Tangari, Joe (November 14, 2001). "Death Cab for Cutie: The Photo Album". Pitchfork . Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  9. 1 2 "Death Cab for Cutie: The Photo Album". Q (188): 118. March 2002.
  10. ↑ Catucci, Nick (2004). "Death Cab for Cutie". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  221–22. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  11. ↑ Greenwald, Andy (November 2001). "Death Cab for Cutie: The Photo Album". Spin . 17 (11): 138. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  12. ↑ Lynch, Wendy. "Death Cab for Cutie: The Photo Album (Barsuk Records)". Under the Radar . Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  13. ↑ Luerssen, John D. (October 16, 2001). "Death Cab for Cutie: The Photo Album". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 13, 2001. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Death Cab for Cutie: The Photo Album". Mojo (101): 96. April 2002.
  15. ↑ Baldwin, Rosecrans (2001). "Death Cab For Cutie: The Photo Album". Neumu.net. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  16. ↑ Doherty, Patrick (October 19, 2001). "Death Cab For Cutie, The Photo Album (Barsuk)". Drawer B. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  17. ↑ Thompson, Stephen (October 9, 2001). "Death Cab For Cutie: The Photo Album". The A.V. Club . Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  18. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Death Cab for Cutie: The Photo Album". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
  19. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Key to Icons". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
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.