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My name is Autumn (she/they)! Follow me here to see what I'm up to and how my life is going!
You Can Play These Songs With Chords by Death Cab for Cutie is my favorite album right now. The album is kind of a compilation of early Death Cab demos and b-sides from around the time of their first couple of albums. This was originally released on a very small number of casette tapes, but was later expanded to being availble digitally and on CD. I really wish they would rerelease it on cassette and release it on vinyl! This album has been with me on drives through the city on late nights and early mornings. The haze of the music matches the presence of the orange sun and the humdity hitting the beautiful and crumbling facades of the brick buildings that rush past me on Virginia Ave.
I have been a big fan of 90s emo for years ever since since my dad would play artists like Sunny Day Real Estate and Mineral in his van on long drives to and from his house in the St. Louis area from my mom's house in central Iliinois for the summer when I was in elementary school. I still remember how it felt like we were driving in complete darkness with only the light from the headlights, the faint lights from the console my dad's dark green early 2000s Chrystler Grand Caravan, and the blue glow of his Sansea View MP3 player. In that cozy darkness, the twinkling of the guitars and the energy and brightness of the choruses felt so powerful and free. It was the backdrop to my lazy childhood summers and the humid nights spent on my dad's front porch.
Because of that I have always felt tons of nostalgia when I listen to emo, and it has been really easy to carry that sense of wonder into my summer. Each song on this compilation scratches a different itch, but every song together captures the same feeling. Here are some of my favorite songs in order of album tracklist. I will also try to include photos I have taken this summer that have been inspired by the music on this release and how it makes me feel.
I have grown to like the version of this song that appears on Death Cab's debut album, Something About Airplanes, even more than this version. The tight and concise drumming, The clear, yet rough, guitar, and lyrics with alliteration and emphasis that flow like sheets of rain. The version on You Can Play These Songs With Chords, however retains a humid and hazy production that is lost on the version that made it to their proper debut album. It has been an amazing companion for me in my car for 2AM 7/11 runs to get some spicy ramen, peanut butter m&ms, and a big Seagrams screwdriver bottle. This version also has a little bit of the song after the first verse that doesn't make the final cut, a refrain that repeats, "Polyurethane people with a glass heart" over the heavy crashing and turbulence of the drums.
This is just a classic breakup song. It has an ache for sure, but it also has a bit of a numbness and euphoria that revels in that sadness a little bit. It really feels like a pavement song with it's laid back sound, like many songs on this album. The warm production of the song really feels like a warm evening in the summer spent wandering through Saint Louis alleys while cutting through the thickness of the humid air. My favorite part is of this song that keeps me coming back to listen to it is the wonderful guitar feedback that cuts through the rest of the instrumentation like the hum of driving on a highway overpass in a car. The feeling of calmly floating even with the forward momentum of inertia moving you forward. A great song to listen to while moiving aimlessly without a care through another summer day.
This is the first song on the album I ever listened to. I first heard it when I still had spotify in 2023 and it pulled this song up. Emo bands for whatever reason do a great job covering this song. Braid, an emo band from Champaign that I have fond memories listening to with my older cousin, also made a great cover of this song. Honestly though, the Death Cab version of this song is my favorite. It has such an infectious groove that shows a lot of love to Johnny Marr and his style of guitar. The production is amazing too, with the guitars sounding fuzzy and rough while also keeping a tight grove. Ben Gibbard's voice seems like it was almost made to cover this song. It sounds tender, yet confident. It makes the song feel so bright and almost cheerful. When this song comes on, it makes me feel energetic and excited for another blank slate summer day. The possibilities are endless. I can ride to the library on my scooter, take the 90 Hampton bus to the Art Museum, or stay inside and spend the day working on diamond art or zines! To me, this cover is even better than the original.
"Summer's gone, I overslept and woke up to the chill of fall". I love these lyrics! This is another one I found in summer 2023, but I still listen to it all the time. I relate to the anxiety in the song about time moving too quick for comfort and missing out on the good times. This summer has been a very enjoyable haze, but it was over before I knew it. I love how unique Ben Gibbard's voice is on this one. He's punkier and angstier here, and the guitars and drums back him up. I have a lot of good memories listening to this song at night through Bevo and Dutchtown at the end of a night out, with the second hand smoke from nightime patios stuck to my clothes.
This might be my favorite song on the album. I spent many nights this summer in the state streets with a new friend smoking on her patio with her, listening to music, and driving around the city until the sun came up. We would watch the sunrise and catch breakfast if we had enough energy. This song has such a lovely nocturnal glow. It feels cozy like the creaking of an old hardwood floor. The guitars buzz with a late night anxiety and the drums have the listnessness of a drowsy look at the clock. The drone to end the song mirrors the hum of the crickets still awake late at night.
I love the cute lil keyboard in this song! It reminds me of early mornings riding my scooter to the donut shop through Francis Park to pick up a chocolate glazed donut to eat when my edible kicks in. The production on Ben Gibbard's voice is so saturated and syrupy. Even though a strong message of this song is struggling with indifference, the instrumentation still feels so warm and earnest. I don't have much else to say about this one, except that it's one of my favorites!