Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
Posted by Shay
Atlantic Records
2008
The boys from Seattle maintain their roots in a soil full of bands that could care less about where they came from. My first interaction with Death Cab’s latest Narrow Stairs came from their website just a few months before the album was released. DCCF’s website featured a video teaser of the then upcoming release in which the song “I Will Posses Your Heart” played as background music and footage of the band in the studio slowly passed on screen. At the end of the minute and a half long video you hear Ben Gibbard say, “I just don’t feel like we have anything to prove other than to ourselves… let’s make a record we can all enjoy”–and that’s exactly what they did.
Narrow Stairs is a great addition to the wonderful collection of Death Cab albums, but if you’re looking for a repeat of “Plans” this isn’t the album for you. When “Plans” (their first major record label release) came out there was doubts about whether DCCF would sell out or lose their style. I think the verdict is still out on how people feel about that, but I don’t think they changed then, and I don’t think they’ve changed now. I believe this to be one of the greatest achievements of the band–that they have been able to keep their record label from changing who they are and what their sound is. Narrow Stairs has a classic Seattle style sound and if you’ve ever visited that great city you know what I mean. Sure, there are slow songs that you might take with you for a walk on a rainy day. Take “Your New Twin Size Bed” for example. That song doesn’t really have an ounce of happy in it, but if you’re in the mood for sad–it’s perfect. But those songs aren’t necessarily the heartbeat of the album.
Other tracks like “Long Division” and “Cath…” take the cake for keeping the album upbeat and show off Death Cab’s ability to write rock songs that are both happy and sad at the same time. “Long Division” continues to make its way to the top of my play list simply because of it’s creative way of blending math and music. Lyrically it’s a song about a guy who is entrapped by his old life and a girl that figures out she’s with the wrong guy. Sounds sad, but you won’t mind while your pumping your wrists to the quick an fun drum and bass beat and singing “Remain, remain, remainder.” But the more I think about the lyrics the more depressed they sound, though this is not a depressing album. The song “Cath…” is about a girl who lets her heart die and just starts doing what she thinks she should, but really would never want to do. Ben Gibbard has a long standing reputation for creating beautiful stories and narratives in his writing and these songs are no different.
If you’re a long time fan of Death Cab For Cutie then you’ll completely understand this record, but like I said–it’s not a replay of “Plans”. It’s a new album with some old Death Cab. Staying true to who they are and what they’re about, Narrow Stairs brings us all the new tracks we want with all the old sound we love. It’s like a clear picture of the city of Seattle–a new looking city with stadiums, high rises, etc., but an old fisherman’s town with boats, salt-water, and a little rust.
Listen to Narrow Stairs at Last.fm.
Buy Narrow Stairs at Amazon.com and iTunes.
Experience more at deathcabforcutie.com
