Death Cab for Cutie

“Transatlanticism” (Barsuk)

Compare to: Sunny Day Real Estate, Rilo Kiley, The Mendoza Line

For some people, achieving perfection once in a year just isn’t enough. Such is the case for Ben Gibbard.

With The Postal Service’s “Give Up” still ringing pleasantly in our ears, Gibbard returned to his other project, Death Cab for Cutie, in time to produce “Transatlanticism,” the band’s most listenable and cohesive album yet.

With every release, the Death Cab has gained more momentum and piled in masses of new fans. But where its past projects appealed more exclusively to the eclectic indie ear, “Transatlanticism” pleases the radio listener nearly as much as it does the elitist.

Each song acts as a different member of an overall body, with its own function, none more important than the next. The most positive tunes on the album resound as melodramatic anthems that can be played over and over without requiring any reflection of the profound lyrics.

On the other hand, beautiful sob songs like “We Looked Like Giants” tell vividly illustrated stories, using less-than-suave language to balance topics that might otherwise become clich‚, such as remembering lovers of the past and astronomical metaphors for anything.

Guitars play a rhythmic game of pattycake with drums throughout the album, creating an active metronome as the backdrop of the portraits in each song.

Midway, the epic title track gently pulls the album to a peak with repeating guitar licks, incessant drums, an ever-building tempo and a layered vocal chant. This sets the stage for the rest of the album to glide coolly down from its marked high point.

Gibbard’s trademark talent of making the saddest topics sound delightful is so flawless on this album, it’s almost laughable. “Death of an Interior Decorator” is certainly one of the most melodic, jingly tracks on the record, even as Gibbard sings, “After conception your body lay cold/ And withered through autumn and you found yourself old/ Can you tell me why you have been so sad?”

Considering the high standards Gibbard has brought his fans to expect, in addition to winning over a whole new group of listeners just ten months prior with The Postal Service, “Transatlanticism” affirms the golden talent contained in Death Cab for Cutie once again.

— Andrew Mabe

Paul Oakenfold

“Great Wall” (Perfecto)

Compare to: Sasha & Digweed, Paul Van Dyk, Ferry Corsten

Paul Oakenfold returns with a new mix album, which means he’s compiled a DJ-mixed album of some of the most boring music in the world. To say there are more interesting compilations in existence is like saying Plato is a slightly better writer than Ann Coulter.

On this double disc mix, Oakenfold opts for two distinct styles, one disc of trance and another of breaks.

Despite inclusions from Dave Gahan, Layo and Bushwacka and John B, there’s not a single saving grace on this mix. That even includes the ultra-egotistical album art.

The first disc covers Oakenfold’s previous trend-du-jour, progressive trance. Despite its deceiving genre title, the mix really doesn’t progress beyond the typical clich‚ sounds that have made the genre stagnant for nearly half a decade now.

After the first half hour — that is, if one can stomach listening past that point — Oakenfold introduces the first of a series of bad remixes that are interspersed through the rest of both discs. A Junkie XL remix of Dave Gahan’s “Dirty Sticky Floors” along with Oakenfold’s take on Madonna’s “Hollywood” could be best described as what happens when decent music goes bad.

Opening the second disc is fairly a decent track by former Stone Roses member Ian Brown.

However, Oakenfold then quickly returns to the formula of good music gone bad when he introduces an unlisted and horrid remix of Bjork’s “Pagan Poetry.” Instead of having the haunting effect it once did, Bjork’s powerful piece now becomes dance-floor fodder for mindless hipsters.

Overall, the second disc is much easier to listen to than the first one, but still runs into an all-too-common problem: The mix quickly becomes boring and uneventful. Oakenfold goes through the motions and creates a mix that lacks both direction and interest, ending up with a product that is almost painful to listen to.

The fact this mix turned out to be so bad isn’t surprising, though. Oakenfold has a fairly strong history of using the power of his name to churn out mediocre products, knowing people who would rather choose style over substance will always be there to continue the trend.

— Josh Nelson

Smashmouth

“Get the Picture?” (Interscope)

Compare to: The President of the United States of America, Sugar Ray

You’d think these guys would’ve called it quits by now. However, showing the boldness and poor taste for which they’re famous, Smashmouth has done it again — they’ve released yet another shady album to the general public.

“Get the Picture,” Interscope’s latest mistake, features 12 brand-new reasons to be depressed. Twelve hip, summer-block-party, top-40 songs, most of which were written solely by the members of Smashmouth. That’s right — all by themselves.

It seems their latest smash hit, “You Are My Number One,” was written by somebody else. This somebody has a long history in making terrible music as well. This somebody is no other than Neil Diamond. Neil Diamond! The artist — nay, poet — who’s been giving us musical gifts for many years, the immortal genius who penned the wise lyrics, “‘I am,’ I said/ To no one there/ But no one heard at all/ Not even the chair!”

When your band’s hit songs are being written by Neil Diamond, you ought to know it’s time to throw in the towel.

If you’re looking for extremely predictable music, however, “Get the Picture” may be right for you.

Every single song is “rock-influenced,” producer-happy, poorly-sung pop. Don’t worry about having to waste time learning anything from the intelligent lyrics on this album, either — there are none. In fact, they go beyond mediocre.

Take the brilliant words to the brilliant chorus from the brilliant song, “Whole Lotta Love:” “Cuz I got nothing but a whole lotta love/ Baby love/ A whole lotta love/ Baby love baby love/ Could you be lovelier/ A whole lotta love/ Baby Love Baby Love/ Could you be lovelier?”

There is one glimmer of positive songwriting on the album. Smashmouth deserves one of those little stickers with the silly smiley faces for the first song on the album, “Hang On.” They really worked hard to make it good. They probably stayed up past midnight writing it. The music is actually somewhat pleasant in this song. Somehow, it fits well with lead singer Steven Harwell’s terrible voice.

Overall, this album is probably the biggest waste of advertising to come from a major record label this year. Whatever you do, do not buy this album.

Get the picture?

— Campbell DeSousa

Ari Hest

“Story After Story” (Project 4)

Compare to: Pete Yorn, Rufus Wainwright, Ryan Adams

Ari Hest has bottled up all of his his emotions for a few years and is finally letting them all spill out on his latest album, “Story After Story.”

Hest has compiled a collection of low tempo, acoustic tunes full of the classic themes of love, loss and heartache.

Keeping the sound simple with a smooth mix of acoustic guitar, bass, drums and organ, “Story After Story” captivates life’s common relationship problems in the form of emotional, sentimental tales.

Hest begins his story with an upbeat feel on the band-driven track “They’re Onto Me,” but quickly switches over to the softer, sweeter sound of his acoustic guitar on the lost love song “Strangers Again.”

With help from an array of gentle, melodic instruments, including hints of accordion and cello, Hest keeps the mood mellow throughout the remainder of the album.

Weaving his way through each tale, the singer dances back and forth between throaty, sandpapered vocals, like in “Monsters” and “Fascinate You,” to a light, breathy airiness, illustrated best in “The Upper Hand.”

Although Hest pours his entire heart out on every track of his album, the track “Monsters” emerges as the climax of it all. The song, which informs the listener of Hest’s constant struggle to conquer his demons, begins on a very dark note, but quickly progresses into an intriguing tale as Hest learns to face his own fears.

“Story after story, squeezing fiction out of fact/ Trying to face forward, but always looking back/ Conjuring up danger when you know you’re safe and sound/ Once you start to question yourself, the road you take leads down, down.”

With mostly songs written about relationships and painful loss, “Story After Story” tends to slowly secrete an unnecessary sappiness that can grow old at times.

However, if anyone can pull off the melancholy sound best, it’s Hest.

“Story After Story” is exactly what this album is. Each track is an emotional tale full of drama and passion with Hest as the storyteller, bringing all of the emotions to life.

— Katie Piepel