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The Ghosts of Beverly Drive

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"The Ghosts of Beverly Drive"
Single by Death Cab for Cutie
from the album Kintsugi
ReleasedMarch 9, 2015
Genre
Length4:04
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)Ben Gibbard
Producer(s)Rich Costey
Death Cab for Cutie singles chronology
"Black Sun"
(2015) 		"The Ghosts of Beverly Drive"
(2015) 		"Good Help (Is So Hard to Find)"
(2016)

"The Ghosts of Beverly Drive" is a song by American rock band Death Cab for Cutie. It is the second single from their eighth studio album Kintsugi. The driving, uptempo track explores themes of loss in the aftermath of heartbreak. Frontman Ben Gibbard wrote the song after his divorce from actress Zooey Deschanel, and the lyrics of the song directly reference Beverly Hills and what he viewed as its vapid celebrity culture.

Music critics complimented the tune for its hooks and spirit, and "The Ghosts of Beverly Drive" was a radio hit in the United States, reaching the top five on Billboard's rock and alternative rankings. It has been a staple of the band's live performances since its release.

Background

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The mournful "Ghosts of Beverly Drive" focuses on the specters of the past.[3] It deals with Gibbard's ill-fated stint living in Los Angeles between 2009 and 2011,[4] and more directly, his marriage and divorce from actress Zooey Deschanel.[5][6] Gibbard did not specifically suggest the song referenced Deschanel, but conceded it should be "fairly obvious".[6] In the song's chorus, Gibbard finds himself "return[ing] to the scene of these crimes, where the hedgerows slowly wind."[2] In some ways, the song is a spiritual sequel to the band's 2001 song "Why You'd Want to Live Here", also a critique of Hollywood.[7][8]

Musically, critics interpreted its "muscular" sound as reminiscent of post-punk.[2] Brian Stout from PopMatters compared it to the work of New Order.[9] Electronic pulses and synthesizers take a forefront in the song, part of an increasingly natural textural focus for the band, according to bassist Nick Harmer.[10] To this end, the song was remixed by electronic musician Tycho.[11]

Music video

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The song's music video was directed by Robert Hales. In the in black and white-shot clip,[12] the members of the band play employees of a celebrity tour bus company in Los Angeles, cruising tourists around the city's ritziest neighborhoods in search of stars.[7][13] Hales took several star tours as research for the role, and based several moments, such as the scene in which the band are sprayed with a hose, from real moments. James Montgomery at Rolling Stone wrote that the video "explore[s] the sense of separation that's so prevalent in a city like Los Angeles, where societal divides are often as apparent as the ivy-covered walls surrounding a Bel-Air mansion."[14]

Release

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Critics complimented Ben Gibbard's appealing and allegorical songwriting.

The band debuted the song in live performances leading up to release of Kintsugi.[15] Its studio version premiered on March 9, 2015.[16] The band promoted the song and album with a performance on the late-night programs The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon[17] and Conan.[18] "The Ghosts of Beverly Drive" was a domestic alt-rock radio hit,[19] reaching the top five on Billboard's Alternative Airplay[20] and Rock Airplay rankings.[21]

The song was well-received by contemporary music critics. Brian Passey from USA Today considered it an album highlight.[22] James Rettig from Stereogum praised its "tight hooks".[23] Evan Sawdey at PopMatters praised its energy,[24] while Colin Stutz at Billboard called the song "a moving number from the band that’s no stranger to literary lyrics, as frontman Ben Gibbard leads listeners along a winding metaphor propped up by lush production."[25] Rachel Brodsky of Spin complimented its "radio-ready" uptempo rhythm.[26] Ian Cohen, writing for Pitchfork, considered it among the better songs on its parent album, writing: "[It's] where Gibbard remembers to write great Death Cab for Cutie songs the way he knows how—zooming on important specifics that speak on a larger idea, trying to make sense of newly formed concepts as he’s explaining them to someone else, rather than starting with the most broad, market-tested metaphors."[27] He later ranked it among the band's best songs for Uproxx.[28]

The song has been a staple of the band's live performances since its debut.[29][30][31]

Personnel

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Credits adapted from AllMusic:[32]

Death Cab for Cutie

Production

  • Christopher Possanza – producer
  • Martin Cooke – engineer
  • Rich Costey – engineer, mixing, producer
  • Nicolas Fournier – engineer
  • Mario Borgatta – assistant engineer
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Josh Rosenfeld – producer

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (2015) Peak
position
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[20] 3
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[33] 15
Canada Rock (Billboard)[34] 31
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[35] 4
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[21] 21

Year-end charts

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Chart (2015) Position
US Rock Airplay Songs (Billboard)[36] 38
Chart (2016) Position
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[37] 97
US Rock Airplay Songs (Billboard)[38] 31

References

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  1. ^ "Death Cab for Cutie - The Ghosts of Beverly Drive Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. March 10, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Review: Death Cab for Cutie returns to an L.A. that almost broke them". Los Angeles Times. July 13, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  3. ^ Rodman, Sarah (March 31, 2015). "Death Cab For Cutie, 'Kintsugi'". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  4. ^ Payne, Chris (January 12, 2015). "Death Cab For Cutie Announces New Album, Moves on Without Chris Walla". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  5. ^ White, Caitlin (June 15, 2015). "Death Cab For Cutie – "The Ghosts Of Beverly Drive" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Partridge, Kenneth (April 3, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard Opens Up About Ex Zooey Deschanel, Celebrity 'Psychoses' and Why the Band Is in a 'Sweet Spot'". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Brodsky, Rachel (June 15, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie Tour Los Angeles in 'The Ghosts of Beverly Drive' Video". SPIN. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  8. ^ Zaillian, Charlie (March 30, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie regroups, rebounds on 'Kintsugi'". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  9. ^ Stout, Brian (June 8, 2023). "Death Cab for Cutie's 'Narrow Stairs' at 15". PopMatters. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  10. ^ Leas, Ryan (March 9, 2015). "Working With The Scars: Death Cab For Cutie Repair Themselves For Kintsugi". Stereogum. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  11. ^ Watercutter, Angela (September 9, 2015). "Listen to a Dreamy Remix of Death Cab for Cutie's New Song". WIRED. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  12. ^ Ezell, Brice (June 16, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie – "The Ghosts of Beverly Drive" (video), PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  13. ^ Ladzinski, Alyssa (June 16, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie Takes a Creepy L.A. Tour for 'The Ghosts of Beverly Drive' [WATCH]". Music Times. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  14. ^ Montgomery, James (June 15, 2015). "Watch Death Cab for Cutie's 'Ghosts of Beverly Drive' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  15. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (January 29, 2015). "Death Cab For Cutie Performs New Songs, Reveals Madison Square Garden Booking at Brooklyn Show". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  16. ^ "Death Cab for Cutie Share "The Ghosts of Beverly Drive"". Pitchfork. March 9, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  17. ^ Brodsky, Rachel (May 12, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie Are Haunted by 'The Ghosts of Beverly Drive' on 'Fallon'". SPIN. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  18. ^ Unterberger, Andrew (July 14, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie Bring 'The Ghosts of Beverly Drive' to 'Conan'". SPIN. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  19. ^ Cosores, Philip (November 17, 2017). "Death Cab For Cutie Have Teased A New Album For 2018". UPROXX. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Death Cab for Cutie Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Death Cab for Cutie Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  22. ^ Passey, Brian (April 9, 2015). "Death Cab is back with best in a decade". USA TODAY. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  23. ^ Rettig, James (September 9, 2015). "Death Cab For Cutie – "The Ghosts Of Beverly Drive (Tycho Remix)"". Stereogum. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  24. ^ Sawdey, Evan (March 31, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie: Kintsugi, PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  25. ^ Stutz, Colin (March 9, 2015). "Listen to Death Cab for Cutie's New Song 'The Ghosts of Beverly Drive'". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  26. ^ Brodsky, Rachel (April 3, 2015). "Review: Death Cab for Cutie, 'Kintsugi'". SPIN. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  27. ^ Cohen, Ian (April 2, 2015). "Death Cab for Cutie: Kintsugi". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  28. ^ Cohen, Ian (June 25, 2021). "The Best Death Cab For Cutie Songs, Ranked". UPROXX. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  29. ^ Bache, Rachel (February 23, 2016). "Review: There's only so much Death Cab you can take". NZ Herald. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  30. ^ Spera, Keith (April 10, 2019). "Concert review: Death Cab for Cutie showed off its rock side at a full Orpheum Theater". NOLA.com. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  31. ^ Fredrich, Lori (July 10, 2022). "Death Cab for Cutie closes out Summerfest with ample doses of nostalgia & new". OnMilwaukee. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  32. ^ "Kintsugi – Death Cab for Cutie – Credits". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  33. ^ "Death Cab for Cutie Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  34. ^ "Death Cab for Cutie Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  35. ^ "Death Cab for Cutie Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  36. ^ "Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2015". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  37. ^ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  38. ^ "Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
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