The Observer, February 8, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 16
Death Cab for Cutie studies the solo Field
Despite numerous delays, prominent Death Cab for Cutie guitarist and producer Chris Walla released his first album, Field Manual, on indie powerhouse Barsuk, Jan. 29. The album marks a departure from the typical indie flavor of Death Cab's florid soundscapes; upon listening to the opening track, "Two-Fifty," the toned-down folk rock vibe makes this clear. Luckily, with masses of Death Cab fans, Walla already has an established fanbase for his music. The question is how he can differentiate himself from the other ubiquitous Cutie, Ben Gibbard.
Field Manual is distinctly demure compared to the typical Death Cab release, while still maintaining Walla's production mastery. Walla has produced tracks for many of the indie scene's top tier, showcasing each band's unique personality and influences well. However, Field Manual remarkably falters in this sense – it feels like an album of Transatlanticism and Plans fillers. In fact, a few of the tracks were supposedly cut from the Cuties' 2005 major label debut.
While not helping Field Manual's identity crisis, Walla's penchant for sounding quite like Gibbard in a number of songs has gained the album quite a bit of popularity among Death Cab fans. "It's Unsustainable" and "A Bird is a Song" flirt with this Death Cab line, but make the album enjoyable for a few moments. Walla's lyrics actually speak as if they have deeper meaning (akin to how Gibbard usually performs). The typical trick is enjoyable for fans of Gibbard and company, but Walla infuses a refreshingly new personality into the tired formula.
Outside of the select songs, the album largely drones on at a sluggish pace, although "St. Modesto" and "Archer vs. Light" kick the album up with moments of driving drums. Unfortunately, like many of the tracks that seem interesting at first, it creates a microcosm of droning inside Field Manual's collective drone – the only thing that changes is the tempo.
Unfortunately, the moments in Field Manual where the listener feels that something important is happening are few and far between. If you're a Death Cab fan and enjoy all their tracks, Field Manual is a welcoming addition to the Gibbard-Walla discography and certainly a decent hold-over until the impending Death Cab release. In the end, it's sad to hear a musician like Walla, who has flexed his musical muscle many times in the past, present an album like this. Walla's influences and compositional talent remain untapped, in favor of what seems to be pandering to an already-present fanbase that's used to the same old thing. Field Manual has a couple nice moments, but overall, it doesn't show anything that Gibbard hasn't already done before, just less obnoxiously.
