Death Cab for Cutie's New Tunes Win Hearts in S.F.

Though Seattle's own Death Cab for Cutie sport quite a prolific catalogue, the indie rock stalwarts opted out of their obscure college rock tunes last night (April 23) and strolled through a bevy of contemporary singles -- reflecting the band's zenith in popularity -- to a sold out crowd at San Francisco’s most legendary venue, the Fillmore.

Pulling heavily off their last two albums, 2003’s Transatlanticism and 2005’s Plans, while mixing in a handful of favorites from 2001’s indie-pop gem The Photo Album, frontman Ben Gibbard and the boys securely tore through tracks like the Los Angeles lamenting "Why You’d Want to Live Here" and the dynamic "The New Year" without much more than a "thank you" between songs. But it was tunes of their latest set, Narrow Stairs, that truly stole the show; the peppy "No Sunlight" and the album's bombastic, bass-driven single "I Will Possess Your Heart" highlighted the gig, showing off a newfound pop maturity and grizzled uniqueness compared to the rest of their oeuvre.

And as the quartet closed their set with the billowing "Marching Bands of Manhattan," there was no doubt that Death Cab for Cutie have hit their stride as one of the most deserving and respected indie rock bands of the post-blog era.