Benjamin Gibbard – Former Lives
Review by Haley Black
After fronting Death Cab For Cutie for nearly 15 years and being in several other bands including Pinwheel and The Postal Service, Benjamin Gibbard is a veteran of the music industry. He is a huge part of the Indie Rock scene. It seems that he had the calling to create an album that he could entirely call his own. His first solo album, Former Lives, adds onto the legacy that he has already created for himself.
Gibbard is truly one of the best composers of the 21st century, so the fact that he has just released a solo album is no surprise. His lyrics are full of imagery, painting an elaborate picture in your head; my favorite being “You’re like a flower garden buried in snow, you’re a hard one to know.”
Contributing to that, not only is his voice soothing, but it has the effect of turning a bad mood upside down, like all of your troubles have washed away. You can’t help but feel completely at ease when you close your eyes and let his voice take you away. There is no such thing as perfect times to have Gibbard serenade you. The album would be the perfect soundtrack for driving around with the windows down, a rainy day, falling asleep or even lying in the grass.
Many of the songs off of the album have a folk and country vibe, which is how you can tell the difference between Death Cab and Gibbard himself. There is a heavy presence of twangy sounding guitars echoing in the background, which are specifically heard in, “Broken Yolk In Western Sky”.
Another unique song off of Former Lives is, “Something’s Rattling (Cowpoke)” which has an arrangement of horns and a mariachi style acoustic guitar. Not one song off of this album sounds the same, but they all have the ability to easily capture your attention. It is difficult to say that one track is better than the other, because they are all wonderful, but the most notable is probably “Teardrop Windows.”
Solo artists often struggle with differentiating their own personal compositions with that of their bands. Gibbard successfully breaks that barrier, displaying that Death Cab For Cutie does not define him as an artist. Former Lives is his own masterpiece, something that he can claim complete ownership to, and frankly, he should be proud of what he has created.
Overall Rating: 4/5
Recommended Tracks: “Bigger Than Love” and “ A Hard One to Know”
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