Chris Walla- Field Manual

Chris Walla- Field Manual
Released: January 29, 2008

Chris Walla is one fourth of the band Death Cab For Cutie, he’s most definitely one of the key players. He is also a superstar producer, mastering Tegan and Sara’s new one titled ‘The Con’ as well as Rocky Votolato’s impressive album ‘Suicide Medicine’. Votolato’s album was released nearly five years ago, Walla knows what he’s doing. However it’s unfortunate to say that his latest release (of his own creation) isn’t so directed.With the crazy anticipation for the latest Death Cab For Cutie album to come out (slated to be released in May 2008, they’ve titled it Narrow Stairs) I had ridiculously high expectations for Walla’s album. He released it on mini-label Barsuk, who released Death Cab’s albums until their big break with ‘Transatlanticism’. ‘Transatlanticism’ stands as one of my favourite albums in the last five years. ‘Field Manual’ is definitely a more modest approach than Death Cab For Cutie. It doesn’t showcase anything impressive or extra different, not in comparison to Death Cab but more so other ‘indie’ pop bands. Walla’s album lacks clarity at that, his sound isn’t defined. It’s sounds a ton like a really awful Nada Surf song. I get this feeling like Walla just ripped off every band he’s ever produced, conglomerated it into one and sold it as his own.One would think with all his production experience, he himself could produce an album that has a consistent sound to it. It’s rocky, but it’s definitely music for the adult contemporary crowd, by the means of big time radio stations. It will never reach the audience but it’s that sort of music. Walla has terrible vocals, he should definitely let Ben Gibbard do that for him.