I know this particular album came out in May, but I always associate the melancholic sound of Death Cab for Cutie with fall, and this LP sounds positively autumnal. I also first got into the band in October of my junior year of high school, so that probably has something to do with it.
Anyway, here's another chance to talk about modern-day groove maestro Jason McGerr — I still have a few more performances of his to talk about, since he seems to have at least one instance of very inventive playing on each Death Cab album.
The tune today is “Cath…,” one of the big singles from 2008’s Narrow Stairs. We’re focusing on the groove that Jason plays during the verse — it’s got some linear tom and kick action at the beginning of the bar, but afterward, there’re some really interesting hits on the ride bell and hats.
I’ve listened to this track dozens of times, but if I zone out, I remain caught off guard by the cymbal playing in the second half of the measure. ICYWW, I used some live videos to pin down the exact tom orchestration. I do recommend listening to the whole track, as Jason has some other cool moves for this number.
I will be taking next week off for the holiday, but afterward, I’ll be back with a real chonker of an article.
