AMG Review of Forbidden Love [EP]

Heather Phares
All Music Guide

With the Forbidden Love EP, Death Cab for Cutie turns in five more thoughtful, sweetly sad reflections on lost and unrequited love. An acoustic version of "405" and an alternate take of "Company Calls Epilogue" -- both originally from We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes -- highlight the group's knack for writing bruised, bittersweet pop songs, and in the process reaffirm the greatness of We Have the Facts.... Likewise, the three new tracks, "Photobooth," "Technicolor Girls," and "Song for Kelly Huckaby" showcase the creative arrangements, the clean but understated production, and the heartfelt, heartbroken vocals that put Death Cab for Cutie head and shoulders above most indie rock groups of the late-'90s to early-'00s. Though Forbidden Love is not as deep an exploration of Death Cab for Cutie's sound as the band's full-length albums, this EP is still a wonderfully concise sampler of just what the group can do.