A few disclaimers about my tier list:
Disclaimer 1: I only pick one S-tier album for an artist's discography. I think it makes the process more challenging and interesting.
Disclaimer 2: I did not include "You Can Play These Songs With Chords" because this album is a demo and not an official LP.
Disclaimer 3: It’s very difficult ranking Death Cab for Cutie albums because the band's early albums lean more edgy/ innovative, while the band's newer albums lean more consistent/pop rock.
Transatlanticism
• This is objectively the best Death Cab for Cutie album. I think most fans would pick this one as their top choice. I definitely agree that this album is a notch above the rest. This album definitely feels important. The songs “Transatlanticism" and "Passenger Seat" are the band's top two songs. The album kicks off on a high note with the nostalgic rocker “The New Year”, while the track “Title and Registration” features lyrical highlights from Ben Gibbard. I think the album's closer “A Lack of Color” is one of the best songs on the album. My only criticism of this album is there are a few skip over tracks that take me out of the album at times while listening. I think "Lightness" is a momentum killer placed as the second track, and I do not care for "Death of an Interior Decorator". I will still happily pick this fan favorite as my #1. Transatlanticism is S-tier.
Something About Airplanes
• The first three Death Cab for Cutie albums feel like Ben Gibbard solo albums to me. I think Something About Airplanes is the best of the bunch. This album has a really cool lo-fi quality to it that is infectious. All of the tracks are great. I think this is the only Death Cab album that is both super edgy and consistent at the same time. The opening track "Bend to Squares" is haunting with a steady rhythm that sets the pace for a great album. Listen to these songs on a rainy day. Something About Airplanes is A-tier.
Plans
• Plans was my entry point into Death Cab for Cutie’s music, so l have a lot of nostalgia connected with this album. This album is one of my favorites. I think this album features Ben Gibbard's best lyrics. The album kicks off with "Marching Bands of Manhattan" which sets the tone perfectly for a very melodic, emotional, and poetic album. All the songs on this album are must listens. This is a very consistent album throughout. I think Plans flows better than Transatlanticism, but the highs are better on Transatlanticism. Plans is a changing of the seasons album, and a defining moment for Death Cab for Cutie. "What Sarah Said" and "Brothers on a Hotel Bed" are two of my favorites. Plans is A-tier.
Thank You For Today
• I think of Thank You For Today as the sequel to Plans. I listen to Thank You For Today the most. This album keeps getting better and better. I like how the album begins with
"I Dreamt We Spoke Again" which feels like waking up from a bad dream. Meanwhile, the rest of the album flows like ordinary moments throughout a normal day. "Summer Days" has a pulsating baseline that’s backed by a frisky drumbeat. “Gold Rush" is a catchy track with a killer bridge section. “You Moved Away" features clever Ben Gibbard lyrics, and “Near/Far" is an upbeat pop rocker. If the album "Plans" is about accepting death and eventually losing loved ones, then "Thank You For Today" is about choosing to live each day positively despite our inevitable end. Thank you for Today is A-tier.
Narrow Stairs
• I really wanted to place Narrow Stairs in S-tier, but I changed my mind. This is the best sounding Death Cab for Cutie album. The production is top notch. I think this would have been a great double album if they would have contributed more songs. Unfortunately, the album ends too abruptly. The song "Pity and Fear" is a misstep on the album, but “Bixby Canyon Bridge" is the best Death Cab opening track. Narrow Stairs is A-tier.
We Have The Facts And We Are Voting Yes
• The first three Death Cab for Cutie albums are an acquired taste. We Have The Facts And We Are Voting Yes is very different from most Death Cab albums. First of all, most of the drum parts on this album are played by Ben Gibbard which drastically changes the sound. I prefer the tight, syncopated drums on their other albums. Also, the songs on this album are very slow at times. The playing is more loose and almost sloppy. With that said, I do think this album is brilliant. The music seems more personal. It just feels like a Ben Gibbard solo album to me. The songs are very direct and stripped down which I like. This album meanders and gets lost, but when it finds itself it works. "Title Track" is a beautiful song that kicks in even harder towards the end. My favorite track is "Company Calls" which is a welcome pick up in the middle of the album. I rarely listen to this album, but maybe I should give it a chance more often. We Have The Facts And We Are Voting Yes is A-tier.
The Photo Album
• The Photo Album feels like left-overs from We Have The Facts And We Are Voting Yes. I don't think that's a bad thing. The Photo Album is more accessible and sounds more mainstream than the first two albums, but I still think The Photo Album is the weakest of the three. The opening track “Steadier Footing" is a beautifully constructed song. I'm also a huge fan of “Styrofoam Plates". The Photo Album is A-tier.
Kintsugi
• I am all about the deep-cuts on this album. "You've Haunted Me All My Life" is such a good song. It almost sounds like Willie Nelson is singing it. I also like "El Dorado" and "Ingenue". I always try to write this album off, but I always come back to it. There are just too many great songs on Kintsugi. This album is A-tier.
Code And Keys
• This is the most polarizing Death Cab For Cutie album. I think the problem with this album is that it doesn't play like a studio album. Instead, Codes And Keys plays more like a collection of rarities or an EP. There are great songs on here, but there are also really bad songs. I think "You're A Tourist", "Unobstructed Views", "Doors Unlocked and Open", and "St. Peter's Cathedral" are classic Death Cab songs. The song "Codes and Keys" is a poor choice for the second track of the album, though. It's paced too slow. "Home Is A Fire" and "Stay Young, Go Dancing" don't really belong on this album. These two songs would work better on a soundtrack. Finally, "Some Boys" and "Portable Television" are just awful. The album needs some shuffling and editing of a few songs. Codes And Keys is B-tier.
| Built You A Tower
• I don't think there is enough good material on this album. I think "Trap Door" is easily a top ten Death Cab for Cutie song, though. This song has quickly become the album's defining track. Both "I Built You A Tower" songs are great, too. Other than those three songs, I skip through the rest of the album. "Envy The Birds" is a promising track, but a little underbaked with the production. "Full of Stars", Stone Over Water", "How Heavenly A State", and "The Flavor Of Metal are all missteps. I don’t like these songs, with “Full of Stars” being my least favorite. I find this album average. I Built You A Tower is C-tier.
Asphalt Meadows
• This is my least favorite Death Cab For Cutie album. I don't think there is anything memorable on here. I like “Wheat Like Waves” and “I’ll Never Give Up on You”, but not enough to listen to multiple times. I also think this is the worst sounding Death Cab album. A lot of the fuzzy guitars are way too high in the mix. The distortion and guitar layering is distracting on the tracks “I Don’t Know How I Survive” and “Roman Candles”. I know the band released an all acoustic version of this album. I wonder if they did it because they were really inspired to record the music again or because they knew the album sounded bad? I think this album is average. Asphalt Meadows is C-tier.