Over the last two and a half decades, few bands have had a firmer hold on indie culture than Death Cab for Cutie.
Formed in the mid-'90s in Bellingham, Washington, they’re an unlikely underground success story. Building a small - yet feverishly committed - following early on with their sharp-witted and often elaborate songs, they soon became poster boys for indie-rock stardom, assisted by a 2005 appearance on TV teen drama The O.C.
With a penchant for radio-friendly rock anthems that channel a distinct emotional vulnerability, frontman Ben Gibbard’s detailed, often dark lyricism led Death Cab for Cutie to be embraced by the emo scene, and it’s easy to see why. Driven by feeling, and mostly guided by Chris Walla’s intricate guitar work, Death Cab have made a name for themselves as not only one of indie rock’s most reliable exports but one of it’s most valuable: not many bands from their scene can co-headline two nights at New York's legendary Madison Square Garden, as they will (alongside The Postal Service) in September.
From their beginnings as a solo-project turned four-piece band, all thick-rimmed glasses and stark lyrical honesty, to their present five-piece incarnation, Gibbard's band have retained a desire to exploring new avenues in their ever-evolving sound, as evidenced by last year's Asphalt Meadows collection. Here's our guide to their 10 studio albums, from the so-so to the sublime.
