Death Cab for Cutie
I remember, in the depths of emo-induced musical ennui, rejecting Death Cab for Cutie sound-unheard, just on the basis of the name and the time period. Now they factor fairly heavily into my Pandora stations, and listening to Transatlanticism as an album instead of being chopped into singles is a quite sublime experience.
I’m a frequent offender, but using the term “honesty” when describing music feels to me like describing wine with flower fragrances. That said, Ben’s voice is just plainly honest, and the musical accompaniment is light-handed in a way that is all the more impressive given that I would never also attach “minimalist” to the description.