Gibbard, Benjamin / Former Lives
Album: Former Lives   Collection:General
Artist:Gibbard, Benjamin   Added:Oct 2012
Label:Barsuk Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2012-11-25 Pull Date: 2013-01-27
Week Ending: Jan 27 Jan 20 Jan 13 Jan 6 Dec 30 Dec 23 Dec 16 Dec 9
Airplays: 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1

Recent Airplay
1. Mar 14, 2020: Music Genealogy
Something's Rattling (Cowpoke)
4. Jan 30, 2015: Time Traveler
Bigger Than Love
2. Jun 06, 2019: Drive Time
Something's Rattling (Cowpoke)
5. Nov 21, 2014: Time Traveler
Bigger Than Love
3. Feb 08, 2018: FMF
Bigger Than Love
6. Apr 11, 2014: Time Traveler
A Hard One To Know

Album Review
Francis D
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.

Track Listing
1. Shepherd's Bush Lullaby   7. Duncan, Where Have You Gone?
2. Dream Song   8. Oh, Woe
3. Teardrop Windows   9. A Hard One To Know
4. Bigger Than Love   10. Lady Adelaide
5. Lily   11. Broken Yolk In Western Sky
6. Something's Rattling (Cowpoke)   12. I'm Building A Fire