Former Lives
General
| Oct 2012
Reviews
Francis D
Reviewed 2012-11-22
Reviewed 2012-11-22
“Former Lives” Benjamin Gibbard
Ben Gibbard is the lead singer/songwriter in Death Cab for Cutie. Over the past 15 years, the band has grown from an obscure indie act to sell 5 million albums. This is Gibbard’s first solo work, and it looks back over his life and relationships from the past 8 years or so (including his uprooting from his native Seattle to live with Zooey Deschanel in Southern California). The songs generally have a Death Cab flavor — so if you like the band, you’ll find much here to like — but the lyrics often have a harder edge as Gibbard reflects on the people and places he’s been with or to.
— Francis
Recommended: 2, 4, 9, 3, 8, 6 No FCCs
1. (0:50) Shepherd’s Bush Lullaby — A cappella lullaby, recorded into an iPhone.
2. (3:33) Dream Song — Bright, bouncy mid-tempo melody with prominent drum line and a nice hook. ****
3. (2:48) Teardrop Windows — According to Pitchfork, this song is about how Seattle’s Smith Tower felt once the Space Needle overshadowed it (him?). Strange, if true. Nice harmonies, rich guitars. First single release. ***
4. (4:48) Bigger Than Love — Strong collaboration with L.A.’s Aimee Mann. Mid-tempo. Electric guitar. Piano. Simple, thumping drums. Evocative lyrics, reportedly about F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Watch the false ending in the middle. ****
5. (2:01) Lily — Strummy, very reminiscent of Death Cab’s “I’ll Follow You into the Night” from “Plans.”
6. (3:51) Something’s Rattling (Cowpoke) — Co-written with Stan Jones, who wrote “Cowpoke.” Tex-Mex horns, plucked violin, guitarron, and Zooey on background vocals. A tongue-in-cheek look at easy living in So Cal. **
7. (3:47) Duncan, Where Have You Gone? — Throwback pop. Melody is VERY similar to “White Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum from 1967. You can look it up — we have it on vinyl in the library.
8. (2:50) Oh, Woe — Mean, mean lyrics set to a rollicking melody. Fuzzy guitar and busy bass line. ***
9. (2:41) A Hard One to Know — Up-tempo tune set to a nice backbeat. Catchy. ***
10. (3:34) Lady Adelaide — Wistful and sad, set to a mid-tempo, rolling melody. Island percussion and steel guitar.
11. (3:32) Broken Yolk in Western Sky — Western flavor with steel guitar. Confessions of a greedy love.
12. (2:34) I’m Building a Fire — Slow song with Gibbard’s voice in upper registers, solely supported by strumming guitar.
Ben Gibbard is the lead singer/songwriter in Death Cab for Cutie. Over the past 15 years, the band has grown from an obscure indie act to sell 5 million albums. This is Gibbard’s first solo work, and it looks back over his life and relationships from the past 8 years or so (including his uprooting from his native Seattle to live with Zooey Deschanel in Southern California). The songs generally have a Death Cab flavor — so if you like the band, you’ll find much here to like — but the lyrics often have a harder edge as Gibbard reflects on the people and places he’s been with or to.
— Francis
Recommended: 2, 4, 9, 3, 8, 6 No FCCs
1. (0:50) Shepherd’s Bush Lullaby — A cappella lullaby, recorded into an iPhone.
2. (3:33) Dream Song — Bright, bouncy mid-tempo melody with prominent drum line and a nice hook. ****
3. (2:48) Teardrop Windows — According to Pitchfork, this song is about how Seattle’s Smith Tower felt once the Space Needle overshadowed it (him?). Strange, if true. Nice harmonies, rich guitars. First single release. ***
4. (4:48) Bigger Than Love — Strong collaboration with L.A.’s Aimee Mann. Mid-tempo. Electric guitar. Piano. Simple, thumping drums. Evocative lyrics, reportedly about F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Watch the false ending in the middle. ****
5. (2:01) Lily — Strummy, very reminiscent of Death Cab’s “I’ll Follow You into the Night” from “Plans.”
6. (3:51) Something’s Rattling (Cowpoke) — Co-written with Stan Jones, who wrote “Cowpoke.” Tex-Mex horns, plucked violin, guitarron, and Zooey on background vocals. A tongue-in-cheek look at easy living in So Cal. **
7. (3:47) Duncan, Where Have You Gone? — Throwback pop. Melody is VERY similar to “White Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum from 1967. You can look it up — we have it on vinyl in the library.
8. (2:50) Oh, Woe — Mean, mean lyrics set to a rollicking melody. Fuzzy guitar and busy bass line. ***
9. (2:41) A Hard One to Know — Up-tempo tune set to a nice backbeat. Catchy. ***
10. (3:34) Lady Adelaide — Wistful and sad, set to a mid-tempo, rolling melody. Island percussion and steel guitar.
11. (3:32) Broken Yolk in Western Sky — Western flavor with steel guitar. Confessions of a greedy love.
12. (2:34) I’m Building a Fire — Slow song with Gibbard’s voice in upper registers, solely supported by strumming guitar.
Recent airplay
Something's Rattling (Cowpoke)
Music Genealogy — Mar 14, 2020
Something's Rattling (Cowpoke)
Drive Time — Jun 06, 2019
Bigger Than Love
FMF — Feb 08, 2018
Bigger Than Love
Time Traveler — Jan 30, 2015
Bigger Than Love
Time Traveler — Nov 21, 2014
A Hard One To Know
Time Traveler — Apr 11, 2014
Charting
2012-11-25 — 2013-01-27
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Jan 27 | 1 |
| Jan 20 | 2 |
| Jan 13 | 1 |
| Jan 6 | 1 |
| Dec 30 | 1 |
| Dec 23 | 1 |
| Dec 16 | 1 |
| Dec 9 | 1 |
Track listing
| 1. | Shepherd's Bush Lullaby | ||
| 2. | Dream Song | ||
| 3. | Teardrop Windows | ||
| 4. | Bigger Than Love | ||
| 5. | Lily | ||
| 6. | Something's Rattling (Cowpoke) | ||
| 7. | Duncan, Where Have You Gone? | ||
| 8. | Oh, Woe | ||
| 9. | A Hard One To Know | ||
| 10. | Lady Adelaide | ||
| 11. | Broken Yolk In Western Sky | ||
| 12. | I'm Building A Fire |