8/10

While Death Cab For Cutie remained almost unchanged throughout their infancy, the last few years have proven to be very turbulent for both the band and frontman Ben Gibbard. Although their 2015 album 'Kintsugi' was well received by both critics and fans, it was written during a painful divorce for the singer, and even saw the group lose one of its founding members Chris Walla, who has since moved on to other projects. So as they regroup to release their ninth full-length, the themes of lost relationships and growing older remain very much at the heart of this new release.

Yet while times have been tough for Gibbard these last few years, this record certainly seems more ambitious and uplifting than you would originally think. It would have been very easy for the emo outfit to fall inward on themselves and deliver a selection of self-absorbed ballads, but instead the band have delivered a diverse and exciting collection of tracks that see them embark on a personal evolution of sound. With a beefed-up production and more dreamlike influences, 'Thank You For Today' has that feeling of a new beginning that they are trying to convince themselves of.

While it may not have been the kindest experiences for Gibbard, being forced out of his comfort zone has lead him to take more risks with the band and almost freed him from his past in the process. This feels like a new and invigorated Death Cab that will hopefully continue for many years to come.