Those of you who, like myself, harbor an undying fondness for Death Cab for Cutie’s first four records will probably enjoy Colonies, because listening to this Tacoma (slash Seattle) indie band evokes memories of what it was like listening to “Photobooth” for the very first time. This can probably be attributed to Travis Shumate’s vocal likeness to Ben Gibbard and the melodic, brooding instrumentals. “Sing to Me” particularly sounds, well, Death Cab-ish. Fortunately, Colonies manage to distinguish themselves from the now-seminal Portland band on other tracks. After listening to Sleep Patterns, a seven-song EP that you can currently download for free, it’s pretty obvious to me that while they could still use some polish, this band is oozing with potential — Death Cab similarities be damned. If Colonies can hone and improve upon their sound– preferably in a way that differentiates them a little more from Sir Gibbard’s work– I predict a lot of packed-out Colonies shows in the near future.