the big one

hooray! guess what i get to review today?



and



i win!

k, before i start, lets just get to the bottom line: both are damn good follow-up albums. in fact, they are among the best to come out this year, and totally blow the others out of the water (*cough* coldplay *cough*). maybe i'm just a bit biased.

death cab for cutie - plans

thankfully, all those rumors about death cab selling out were just rumors. for those of you who argue otherwise, quit your whining. yes, they do sound a bit different, but it's still death cab. it may not be their best album (the photo album holds that honor), but death cab's major record label debut delivers. its signals the completion of the of the transition started in transatlanticism, which began moving the band from lo-fi to mainstream. the tracks are very well produced, and the effects are quite evident. for hardcore fans, think of it less as change and more as evolution. this is the direction that ben gibbard has wanted to bring death cab towards years ago, but he simply didn't have the resources. now with muscle of atlantic records behind him, he can finally bring his completed vision to the masses. appropriately enough, the album ends with a re-recorded version of "stability" from their groundbreaking photo album, perhaps to close one chapter on the band's history and open the pages on a new one. once again, death cab manages to break down barriers with their new album, and continue to be on the cutting edge of creative pop.

final grade: 89

ok go - oh no

critics have been praising bands like hot hot heat for bringing back "new wave" rock. sorry to burst your bubble people, but ok go has been there and done that. for their sophomore album, they went to europe to write and record, and the results are obvious. oh no is much more polished and refined than its predecessor, and yet it manages to stay fresh, original, and just plain fun. i dare you to listen to this album and not dance.

final grade: 85