Emerging from the Pacific Northwest in the late '90s, Death Cab for Cutie played noisy, complex songs that split the difference between intense emo and intimate indie rock. With the 2003 release of their fourth album, Transatlanticism, the band unveiled a more polished and visceral sound, and they soon earned major critical acclaim, propelled by the surprise success of frontman Ben Gibbard's side-project, The Postal Service. Along with bands like Modest Mouse and The Shins, Death Cab entered the alt-rock spotlight without losing their personal and passionate edge.