Last Friday night, Hammersmith’s well-renowned Apollo transformed itself from the weekly laugh factory of West London into the epicentre of emotional teens and 20-something-year-olds attuned to the heart-ridden songs of the mid-2000s, by welcoming Death Cab For Cutie.
Now on their 9th LP, this Washington-based band have been through the ages: forming in 1997, releasing their seminal LP Transatlanticism in 2003, and arriving to present day with a near-sold-out show at this 4,000-capacity venue. Partaking in this emotional evening was The Beths, a more recent outfit from New Zealand who delve into the same depths of indie-pop and emo but retain an upbeat sheen to it all. Having established a well-founded following in the UK already, with sold-out smaller shows at London’s Victoria and Hoxton Square Bar, their perpetual energy strewn throughout their condensed discography bodes well for their future UK headline tour - stopping by The Dome at Tufnell Park this May.
With the preliminaries out of the way, Ben Gibbard and his eclectic band of West-Coast 40-year-olds took to the stage to a roar of appreciation as they initiated their hit single from their latest LP, ‘I Dreamt We Spoke Again’. Bending synth chords and electronic drums sparked off the evening as Gibbard reservedly sung amidst the heavily-refined tones of their latest music. In case it wasn’t clear enough to those in attendance tonight - this track was the first indication of their evolved sound and slight sonic tangent from their aforementioned, seminal LP released almost 15 years ago. Let’s see how this fared...
Whilst this LP was not the predominant feature in this evening’s setlist, it felt as if their more recent discography paled in comparison to the brooding and well-rounded tones of Transatlanticism. Perhaps there’s a reason why the band continuously decided to feature these particular tracks in the latter half of the set - retaining the audience’s attention and culminating the show in a much more positive light. As much as the band may attempt to veer away from this set of tracks with the subsequent 5 LPs released since then, it is undoubtedly a major factor as to why they’ve been booked to play such a well-renowned venue in the heart of West London.
Aside from this, the mammoth 25-song-long setlist certainly offered the audience a sense of ‘bang for your buck’ with a running time of nearly 2 hours on stage. However, with such a lengthy set it felt as if Gibbard’s voice plateaued in parts, with his choice of similar vocal melodies and backing instrumentation. Much of the mid-section to the set showcased their LPs of past, Kintsugi, Plans, and Narrow Stairs, which unfortunately blurred into the background of their respective genre and provided few stand-outs in the way of the evening's sonic experience. The real standouts, inevitably came from their 2003 LP with such tracks as ‘Expo ‘86’, ‘We Looked Like Giants’, and the encore section - featuring ‘Tiny Vessels’, and undoubtedly the crowd favourite of the night, ‘Transatlanticism’. The former track offering a rather unexpected divergence in its outro, incorporating elements of shoegaze in its ethereal, drawn-out guitar tones - a duly welcomed surprise amongst a fairly tight-knit set.
Arriving at the encore, the compelling solo acoustic track ‘I Will Follow You Into The Dark’, intimately waded through the crowd illuminated by a multitude of phones and lighters in a mutual agreement of joyously singing the chorus back to Gibbard who reciprocated thereafter. The emotional turmoil continued into ‘Tiny Vessels’, with its sumptuous contrast in lighter melodic sections and heavily distorted guitars encompassed by an omnipresent, introspective lyrical style. The last, and most hotly-anticipated track of the evening certainly lived up to its potential, ‘Transatlanticism’. Wallowing in some simple but atmospheric piano chord progressions, Gibbard dictated the crowd sing-along admirably, eventually transcending into a continued refrain of “I need you so much closer”. As the build-up spilled over into the latter half of the track, the sound mixing of the various guitar tones, drum clashes, piano chords, and vocal harmonies contributed immensely to the atmosphere contained within this venue and undoubtedly left an indelible mark on those in attendance.
Whilst this show may not indelibly leave a mark in my mind for a multitude of reasons, I still have much respect for the band who are embarking on a serious touring schedule well into their well-established career as a collective band. Hallmarking themselves as one of the most significant indie/emo-rock acts at the turn of the century, later influencing bands such as Manchester Orchestra, Silversun Pickups, and Band of Horses, their sound has transcended time and garnered a significant audience in spite of their under-written and trite recent discography. Only time will tell whether Death Cab For Cutie will continue this trait or decide to pursue another sonic avenue altogether. One can perhaps guess which of these two options they may take, however, their set tonight certainly pulled on the reminiscent heartstrings of those teens and 20-something-year-olds in the audience looking for a trip down memory lane.
6.5/10
Death Cab For Cutie's latest LP, Thank You For Today, is out now and can be found here.
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