Ben Gibbard is the guy you actually want bringing his guitar to the bonfire. Gibbard’s debut solo album Former Lives has the mellow guitar chords and storytelling pace that makes the record elementally superior.
Gibbard is best known as the lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie and a member of The Postal Service.
Though some Death Cab for Cutie can certainly be heard in this LP, Gibbard shows his diversity by delving into some country twang in “Broken Yolk in Western Sky” and by giving a Latin twist to “Something’s Rattling (Cowpoke).”
The track “Teardrop Windows” has a catchy pop melody with easy strumming and descending piano chords that build a blissful state of mind. The tune is a perfect choice for a cross-country drive.
The most underestimated song to get stuck in your head is “Duncan, Where Have You Gone?” The arrangement seems more like something the 1970s Elton John would pick up, with its dominant piano and drawn out, layered harmonic vocals.
Although it is easy to fall in love with his crooning folk hits, it would have been nice to hear a little more of the techno style that was cut all too short in The Postal Service.
Even though Gibbard has mostly abandoned the synthesizer, he’s polished a more organic approach to music. After listening to this album, fans can only hope that Gibbard is writing more songs on the side to treat us to later.
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