For classical and Death Cab for Cutie fans alike
Biblibio | 06/18/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"To put it simply, what a beautiful CD. While "Tribute" CDs are often very poor and can only be appreciated by the true "die hard" fans, here is an example of what every tribute should be.
This string quartet took some good songs (Death Cab for Cutie is a pretty good band, but I'm not totally in love with them) and turned them into lovely string quartets, pretty much. There are no silly background noises, and everything is covered by these four instruments - two violins, a viola, and a cello. The effect is stunning. There is a certain classical feel to the whole album, but the music is still wholly Death Cab. You can feel the original songs when listening to this incredible album (even perhaps singing along!). There's a good feel to it, and if anyone needs an example for why classical-style music is not necessarily dull, here it is! There are plenty more things out there like this (some of the more exciting string quartets come to mind).
For the classical fan, here's a very different door. It's a string quartet (you can never go wrong with a string quartet), but they're playing music that is almost unfamiliar to you. Honestly, one would hope that more wonderful CDs like this would bridge the gap between classical music and the rest of the music out there.
For those who have heard other terrible "Tributes", I'd like to assure you that this is nothing of the sort. The quality of playing here is very good, with no silly background pops and crashes, no annoyances, and also a very good sound.
In conclusion: This is an excellent CD! I can listen to it on repeat for hours. It's beautiful, it's still very Death Cab for Cutie. It gives us a new view of a pretty good band in a way that is entirely beautiful.
Highly recommended!"