"Here to Forever," Death Cab for Cutie (2022)

That perfect Death Cab blend of sadness and wit.

Peak: #1 on the alternative rock chart
Streams: 6.6 million

The very first time I listened to Death Cab for Cutie’s “Here to Forever,” there were two things that made know I’d like it.

That’s not always the case with this band, whose catalog I’ve been dipping in and out of for 20 years now. Sometimes, frontman Ben Gibbard’s lyrics slice right into me, and sometimes, they seem too mannered for their own good. Sometimes the instrumentation gets my head bobbing, and sometimes I think those synthesizer bloops sound like cheapo video game sound effects. But when Death Cab works, they really work. Their best material is the kind of music I want to learn by heart.

“Here to Forever” is like that.