#3 – Plans (2005)

Coming off of the massively successful and career-defining album that was Transatlanticism (2003), Death Cab for Cutie had a lot to live up to. 

Well, 2005’s Plans solidified that the success of Transatlanticism was not a fluke. If the band was not already in the mainstream, this album only catapulted them further into the spotlight. The album peaked at 4 on the Billboard 200, went platinum, and earned the band multiple Grammy nominations. The song “I Will Follow You into the Dark” became the band’s most popular single and is their most streamed song on Spotify.

Overall, this album deserved the attention that it got. Tracks like “Soul Meets Body” and “Crooked Teeth” are perfect for radio play, and other ones like “Marching Band of Manhattan” and “Your Heart is an Empty Room” have a heart-warming amount of optimism in them. 

The album’s final three tracks are easily some of the most emotional 15 minutes that the band ever put on a record. The piano and drum-heavy song of “What Sarah Said,” which is about watching a loved one die, is one of few Death Cab songs that tackles such a morbid topic so openly: “That love is watching someone die / So who’s gonna watch you die?” The reflective melancholy of “Brothers on a Hotel Bed” and “Stable Song” are both some of the greatest closing tracks on a Death Cab album. 

Despite this album having some weak points, Plans is filled with career-defining songs for the band, and it’s a very important release for any listener looking to get into Death Cab for Cutie.

Best Song: Your Heart is an Empty Room

Worst Song: Summer Skin