It’s easy to think of “Black Sun” as Death Cab for Cutie’s layered farewell to Chris Walla. Instead, it feels more like a new beginning.

Welcome back, Postal Service — this time for real. “Turn Around” is a squelchy, hook-focused dance number, but with the kind of lyrical midnight-blue melancholy that propelled the glorious X-fueled nihilism of New Order back in the 1980s. You May Also Like: The Unforgettable Mamas Gun Gem Tucked Away onRead More

I’m not sure Ben Gibbard, recording his first-ever solo album away from Death Cab for Cutie, has ever sounded more alone. And in that scary freedom, in that essential stillness, he experiments in ways we haven’t heard before. You May Also Like: Death Cab for Cutie, “Black Sun” from KintsugiRead More