Album Review: Benjamin Gibbard - Former Lives

If there's one thing that's immediately evident on the debut solo outing from Death Cab For Cutie's Benjamin Gibbard, it's the incredibly eclectic nature of the material covered almost from the outset. The opening 50 second a cappella Shepherd's Bush Lullaby was recorded on an iPhone much like a barbershop quartet might, instantly bookmarking proceedings to be somewhat different to Gibbard's day job or brilliant electronic side-project The Postal Service. The subsequent trio of tracks – Dream Song, first single Teardrop Windows and Bigger Than Love – certainly could've appeared on any one of Death Cab's last four records, with their radio-ready hooks and steady approach – they might be predictable, somewhat, but in the best possible way.

But then you have songs that could be deemed oddities, things like Something's Rattling (Cowpoke) with a mariachi band called Trio Ellas, or Broken Yolk In Western Sky which features his familiar voice with a distinct country twang. Duncan, Where Have You Gone is a mid-album highlight with a stunning, multiple-layered harmony (all by Gibbard himself) and a gritty guitar solo. The closing I'm Building A Fire is also moving; with its lone acoustic guitar it's treated much like I'll Follow You Into The Dark and just could be his Mull of Kintyre sans the bagpipes and bombast.

If anything, Former Lives feels like one for fans. As a compilation of sorts using the best of his vault from the last ten years or so, it feels more of a cleanse for Gibbard than it does a cohesive piece. Nonetheless, it's a neat glance further into the mind of a truly remarkable songwriter and a rewarding one at that.