Plans (album)

Plans
Studio album by Death Cab for Cutie
Released	August 30, 2005
Recorded	2005 at Long View Farm in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, United States
Genre	Indie pop, indie rock
Length	44:28
Language	English
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Chris Walla
Death Cab for Cutie chronology
Transatlanticism (2003) Plans (2005) ITunes Originals – Death Cab for Cutie (2005)
Singles from Plans
"Soul Meets Body" Released: October 10, 2005 "Crooked Teeth" Released: April 11, 2006 "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" Released: June 26, 2006

Plans is the fifth studio album by Death Cab for Cutie, released on August 30, 2005. Drummer Jason McGerr noted the continuity between this album and their previous one, stating "if Transatlanticism was an inhale, Plans is the exhale."^[1] In 2006, a DVD was released titled Directions, an anthology of 11 short films all inspired by tracks of Plans.

The album peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and was certified as a platinum album on February 28, 2008.^[2][3] The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 48th Grammy Awards, held February 8, 2006. The following year, they were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "I Will Follow You Into The Dark".

Production

The recording of Plans took place across a period of a month at a farmhouse studio in rural Massachusetts, described by lead singer, Ben Gibbard, as being "virtually in the middle of nowhere", the sort of place "a label sends a band if the singer's a junkie and they need to get him away from the bad things in the city".^[4] The location had the advantage that the band were able to "spread out while recording", which Gibbard stated was "really nice".^[4]

Album theme

In explaining the theme of the album, Ben Gibbard said the following:

I don't think there's necessarily a story, but there's definitely a theme here. One of my favorite kind of dark jokes is, 'How do you make God laugh? You make a plan.' Nobody ever makes a plan that they're gonna go out and get hit by a car. A plan almost always has a happy ending. Essentially, every plan is a tiny prayer to Father Time. I really like the idea of a plan not being seen as having definite outcomes, but more like little wishes.

—Ben Gibbard^[5]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[6]
Drowned in Sound	(4/10)[7]
Robert Christgau	[8]
Pitchfork Media	(6.5/10)[9]
PopMatters	(7/10) [10]
Rolling Stone	[11]
Tiny Mix Tapes	[12]

Plans has received positive reviews. On the review aggregate site Metacritic, the album has a score of 66 out of 100, indicating "Generally favorable reviews."^[13]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Ben Gibbard, except where noted. 

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Marching Bands of Manhattan"	4:12
2.	"Soul Meets Body"	3:50
3.	"Summer Skin" (Ben Gibbard, Jason McGerr, and Chris Walla)	3:14
4.	"Different Names for the Same Thing"	5:08
5.	"I Will Follow You Into the Dark"	3:09
6.	"Your Heart Is an Empty Room"	3:39
7.	"Someday You Will Be Loved" (Gibbard and Walla)	3:11
8.	"Crooked Teeth" (Gibbard and Walla)	3:23
9.	"What Sarah Said" (Gibbard and Nick Harmer)	6:20
10.	"Brothers on a Hotel Bed" (Gibbard and Walla)	4:31
11.	"Stable Song"	3:42

Vinyl bonus track[14]
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Talking Like Turnstiles"	2:28

Japanese bonus track[15]
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Jealousy Rides with Me"	2:25

iTunes Store bonus tracks[16]
No.	Title	Original artist	Length
12.	"Start Again"	Teenage Fanclub	2:38
13.	"Bad Reputation" (pre-order bonus track[17])	Freedy Johnston	4:16

Personnel

• Ben Gibbard – vocals, guitars
• Nick Harmer – bass guitar
• Jason McGerr – drums
• Chris Walla – guitars, keyboards, production
• Mike Kezner - sitar, vocals

Production

• Produced, recorded and mixed by Christopher Walla
• Additional recording by Mike Lapierre, Kip Beelman, Robbie Skrocki, Beau Sorenson
• 'Crooked Teeth' mixed by Chris Shaw at Sound Track, New York, NY
• William Swan - Trumpet (Track 2)
• Sean Nelson - Harmonies (Track 8)
• Recorded in the barn at Longview Farm, North Brookfields, MA
• Additional recordings at Avastle, Seattle; Robert Lang Studios, Seattle; The Hall of Justice and Skrocki, Seattle
• Mixed at Smart Studios in Madison, WI
• Mastered by Roger Seibel at SAE Mastering in Phoenix, AZ
• Artwork and layout - Adde Russell

References

1. ^ Bendery, Jennifer (October 24, 2005). "Movin' on Up (Without Sellin' on Out): An Interview with Death Cab for Cutie". PopMatters. http://www.popmatters.com/music/interviews/death-cab-for-cutie-051024.shtml. Retrieved May 22, 2009. 
2. ^ "Artist Chart History — Death Cab for Cutie". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=333739&model.vnuAlbumId=725692. Retrieved May 22, 2009. 
3. ^ "Gold and Platinum". RIAA. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Death%20cab%20for%20cutie&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=50. Retrieved May 22, 2009. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Mar, Alex (April 8, 2005). "Death Cab Make "Plans"". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7242529/death_cab_make_plans. Retrieved May 22, 2009. 
5. ^ Clark, Rick (1 January 2006). "Death Cab for Cutie: Growing In The Studio, Making Plans". Mix Magazine. http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_death_cab_cutie_2/index.html. Retrieved 22 May 2009. 
6. ^ Theakston, Rob. Plans - Death Cab for Cutie. Allmusic. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
7. ^ Diver, Mike. Death Cab For Cutie - Plans. Drowned in Sound. 31 August 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
8. ^ "CG: Death Cab for Cutie". Robert Christgau. http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Death+Cab+for+Cutie. Retrieved July 7, 2011. 
9. ^ Tangari, Joe (August 29, 2005). "Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Death Cab for Cutie: Plans". Pitchforkmedia.com. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/16928/Death_Cab_for_Cutie_Plans. Retrieved July 7, 2011. 
10. ^ Dermott, Ryan. Death Cab For Cutie: Plans. Popmatters. 8 September 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
11. ^ Sheffield, Rob. Death Cab For Cutie: Plans. Rolling Stone. 22 August 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
12. ^ Death Cab for Cutie - Plans. Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
13. ^ Critic Reviews for Plans. Metacritic. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
14. ^ Death Cab For Cutie - Plans (Vinyl, LP, Album). Discogs. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
15. ^ Death Cab For Cutie - Plans (CD, Album). Discogs. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
16. ^ Plans by Death Cab for Cutie. iTunes. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
17. ^ PLANS available for pre-order through iTunes. Death Cab for Cutie. 17 August 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2011.