Thank You For Today

Death Cab for Cutie - Thank You For Today
Critic Score
Based on 25 reviews
2018 Ratings: #721 / 890
User Score
Based on 254 ratings
2018 Rank: #615
Liked by 13 people
August 17, 2018 / Release Date
LP / Format
Atlantic / Label
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CRITIC REVIEWS

81
Paste

With eight other studio albums under their belt and 20 years as a band, Thank You for Today surprises by offering a fresh take on Death Cab’s familiar sound: an album that’s grown-up without being musty.

80
The Line of Best Fit

Thank You For Today is a blend of old and new Death Cab that could appeal to the mainstream – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You have Gibbard’s forlorn yet criticising voice, the personal yet accessible lyrics, the melodic yet clashing guitars, which all create an incredibly atmospheric record, brimming with nostalgia, defeat – and hope.

80
The Independent
A benchmark DCFC record and, barring a surprise ‘drop’ from The National, the most immersive alt-rock album you’ll hear all year.
80
The Guardian
At this point, Death Cab have settled into a sound that eschews experimentation: in a sense this is MOR music. Nothing surprises, nothing jolts, but it’s so expertly judged, such a warm fug of melancholia, that it’s all but irresistible, like slipping into delicious self-pity.
80
DIY
‘Thank You for Today’ feels like the first opportunity the band have been afforded in a long while to genuinely move forwards.
75
Northern Transmissions
Death Cab For Cutie do offer some sharp single-like material here that keeps the album from feeling overtly stagnant.
70
musicOMH

Death Cab For Cutie aren’t changing any time soon, and Thank You For Today is another reliable if unsurprising missive from a band who seem to be settling into middle age comfortably.

70
Exclaim!

Ultimately, Thank You for Today finds the Death Cab for Cutie of 2018 taking stock of their band, choosing to forge ahead by using the foundation of their back catalogue to harness their core identity and build upon it. The band's shared vision is clear, encapsulated in this collection of songs.

70
Rolling Stone

After making it through the rough time that surrounded Death Cab for Cutie’s last record, Kintsugi ... the band sounds rejuvenated on Thank You for Today.

70
PopMatters

Death Cab for Cutie is a band that always makes really solid records and Thank You for Today is no exception. While it, like its three predecessors, fails to reach the near-perfect heights of the group's mid-2000 benchmarks ... it's still a thoroughly charming and touching collection.

70
AllMusic

With Thank You For Today, Ben Gibbard moves Death Cab For Cutie into a new phase, one that reflects his newly-minted middle age and one without Chris Walla. It's a new beginning, but one that announces itself with a whisper.

67
A.V. Club

Thank You For Today, Death Cab For Cutie’s tightly crafted ninth studio album and first since 2015’s Kintsugi likely won’t disappoint fans—but it’s also hard to muster tremendous enthusiasm for it.

65
The 405

Thank You For Today isn’t great, but it’s pretty good.

60
Drowned in Sound
Nine albums in, Death Cab for Cutie are just about holding it together, but you have to wonder if the title ‘Thank You For Today’ belies nothing more than a grateful acknowledgement of continued existence.
60
Dork
The truth is that that Death Cab is long gone; preserved in amber by the melancholic yet sprawling indie rock that inspired a generation. What has replaced it seems to be a band trying to once again bottle that magic; a shadow of its former self.
60
Clash
‘Thank You For Today’ is an insular record, one that whispers its emotions atop a layer of polished production. Dig deep enough however and you’ll still find that same introspective band of raconteurs, and going by the album’s title they’re still happy to be crafting songs as Death Cab for Cutie some 21 years on.
60
Pitchfork
The ninth album from Ben Gibbard and Co. is their strongest album of the 2010s, a dubious achievement that nonetheless deserves recognition for its rare moments of shining, indie-pop songwriting.
60
NME
The result is perhaps a little too harmonious.
58
Entertainment Weekly

Death Cab for Cutie lives in rosy retrospection, with pensive love songs that score halcyon college days and trips back to the old stomping grounds. On their new 10-track LP Thank You for Today, the indie-rockers continue that sentimental voyage, offering familiar odes to sweet sadness. But what once exuded cathartic melancholia has now matured into overwrought melodrama.

50
Spectrum Culture
While it’s wonderful that the once sorrowful singer is in a great place in his personal life, it has regrettably sapped the life from his band. Pleasure writes fewer good songs – and sadly, in this case, complacency writes barely any good ones at all.
45
Under the Radar
For the second record in a row, Death Cab for Cutie are treading water, splashing about in the faded sound of glories past. Someone throw them a life preserver before it's too late.
43
Consequence of Sound

Less put-together than Kintsugi or audacious than Codes & Keys, Thank You for Today is Death Cab for Cutie’s weakest album of the decade and either a transition towards something greater or the first harbinger of creative decline.

SnowyFighter
65

I do appreciate the fact that today is a thing that exists yes

This is probably the least consistent Death Cab album so far tbh. There just tend to be some less memorable moments and less standouts. It all still sounds nice like every one of their albums, but the lasting impression isn’t fully there. There is one exception though, and that’s the opening track I Dreamt We Spoke Again. I absolutely LOVE this song. I wish the whole album sounded this wondrous and beautiful. I ... read more

depechemode4lif
68

Well ok. I am one of the few people here that actually enjoys hearing Death Cab move in this direction but generally some of the songs seem to be lacking much of a direction.

zachthesnack
51

I literally already forgot everything I just listened to

76

This is an incredibly difficult album for me to rate. I actually like a lot of the songs on this album, so I probably should have a higher rating, but my huge issue with this album is that it's so forgettable. Outside of Summer Years and Gold Rush, the rest of the album basically just blends together, but not in a good way. Just a bunch of forgettable songs that I like individually but have never worked together for me. I like the songs specifically on this album more than on Kintsugi, and yet ... read more

Triscuit
70

Death Cab For Cutie takes a more pop oriented twist to their music with the 2018 record 'Thank You For Today'. I'm a huge fan of how Gibbard sounds on most of his record, his voice is distinguished and raw and I feel some of the rawness is dampened on these songs. Overall these songs are quite enjoyable to listen to and while some would say they are forgettable, I just don't think Death Cab can release something forgettable.

evn
62

PRE-TEEN TUNES

This is that one Death Cab record that us fans prefer not to talk about. The production is wayy over the top, which for a younger Evan was pretty entertaining, but for a present Evan is absolutely headache-inducing. I remember listening to this record in the car with my friends all the time in my Sophomore (10th grade) year of high school, blasting songs like 'Northern Lights' down the street. Looking back, the memories are nice, however I wouldn't put myself through making ... read more

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Track List

1I Dreamt We Spoke Again
3:04
75
2Summer Years
4:28
81
3Gold Rush
4:00
60
4Your Hurricane
3:18
73
5When We Drive
3:49
73
6Autumn Love
4:18
71
7Northern Lights
3:56
84
8You Moved Away
3:49
66
9Near/Far
3:41
69
1060 & Punk
4:05
68
Total Length: 38 minutes
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Added on: June 13, 2018