Considering how much Chris Walla gets around -- whether as a member of Death Cab For Cutie or producing the Decemberists, Tegan & Sara, etc -- it's not surprising it took him this long to release a solo record. When he last passed along a song it was a super Radiohead b-side cover. This time, the lilting, dreamy "Sing Again"'s all his own. Sorta literally: He plays just about every instrument on Field Manual minus the drums on nine of the dozen tracks -- those are variously handled by New Pornographer's Kurt Dahle and Death Cab's Jason McGerr. The latter does the honor for "Sing Again." North Dakota-driving, Ga Ga-pulsing Tune and track listing after the jump.
Chris Walla - "Sing Again" (MP3)
"I lower my chin to my chest / I thought that would be best." Swoon-y, eh? He must've picked it up from Ben Gibbard. The sudden ending's a nice touch, too. Here's how the rest of Field Manual's titled:
01 - "Two Fifty"
02 - "The Score"
03 - "Sing Again"
04 - "A Bird Is a Song"
05 - "Geometry &c"
06 - "Everyone Needs a Home"
07 - "Everybody On"
08 - "Our Plans, Collapsing"
09 - "Archer v. Light"
10 - "St. Modesto"
11 - "It?s Unsustainable"
12 - "Holes"
Field Manual is out 1/29 on Barsuk.
