Lately, I’ve been listening to the new Death Cab for Cutie album, Plans. While the band has been around for years, Plans is the first album of theirs I have listened to. I’m impressed. The album beautifully works through themes of love and friendship in the eventuality of our own mortality. These themes culminate with the track, What Sarah Said.

And it came to me then that every plan is a tiny prayer to father time
As I stared at my shoes in the in ICU that reeked of piss and 409
And I rationed my breaths
As I said to myself that I’d already take to much today
And each descending peak on the LCD
Ttook you a little farther away from me
…But I’m thinking about what Sarah said, love is watching someone die

Where Soul Meets Body is an absotue gem and the track that introduced me to the album. I Will Follow You Into the Dark continues the exploration of death and inclues a pointed critique of the church.

In Catholic school, as vicious as Roman Rule
I got my knuckes bruised by a lady in black
And I held my tounge as she told me son,
'Fear is the heart of love' so I never went back.

I really understand the sentiment. The sins of the church have hurt so many people and we've taken a message of good news and turned it into tyranny. This is all the more pointed for me as a community near my home town is dealing with a suspected double murder / suicide by a Catholic priest. Ultimately, I have to hope the grace of God can reach people in spite of the sometimes terrible actions of the church. May God forgive us.

On a slightly lighter note, Pulse of the Twin Cities has a good article today on the band. Death Cab for Cutie plays at First Avenue tonight and tomorrow. Sadly, I won’t be there.