NEW YORK (AP) — They usually hold court in theaters, but for the last few years, the beloved indie act Death Cab for Cutie has moonlit as an arena rock band. That’s because they took their career-defining albums 2003’s “Transatlanticism,” and later, 2005’s “Plans,” on an anniversary run — recognizing that in the decades since their release, the records have only grown larger, resonating with new audiences.“There was such a sense of there being a power greater than us, not necessarily in a spiritual sense, but in the communing with the audience each night,” said guitarist and keyboardist Dave Depper. “It was so concentrated and on such an epic scale … It felt important to be able to tap into that energy and somehow transfer it into the feeling of this next record.”On Friday, the band will release “I Built You a Tower,” their 11th studio album and second with producer John Congleton. But this is not simply another full-length offering from artists in their veterancy. It is one at an unusual crossroads: A band looking to continue harnessing the enthusiasm of their nostalgic listenership, and one simultaneously experiencing grief.
“I spent a lot of 2023 going through this very painful experience of a separation and eventual divorce,” said frontman and lyricist Ben Gibbard. That informed the record — and happened right as they were embarking on the “Transatlanticism” tour, a run where Gibbard did double-duty, performing two sets. It was also a celebration of his side project the Postal Service, marking the 20th anniversary of that group’s sole album, “Give Up.”
