Narrow Stairs

Narrow Stairs
Death Cab for Cutie
(Atlantic, 2008)
Rating: 78%

This is like, blaspheme these days, but I don't care. I'll say it: I'm a big Death Cab for Cutie fan. And you know what? As skeptical as I was of the record, Narrow Stairs, their sixth full length, is solid. Sure, I have some complaints. Yes, the band has dived even deeper into radio-ready arena pop. Also, these are Ben Gibbard's least memorable melodies and weakest lyrics by far. I don't even know what he's doing with his voice these days (what is this... vibrato?). But, for some reason I can see past all this.

Admittedly, my dudes freaked me out a bit when they released the eight minute wank-fest "I Will Possess Your Heart" as the lead single. "Oooh... daring." Sure. It's also completely boring. I won't argue that it works okay in the context of the record, but it is easily and thankfully the worst song.

After five albums in a row with strong opening tracks, "Bixby Canyon Bridge" is kind of a disappointment. It's not a bad song, just sort of corny sounding until you get to the badass outro. Then, if you can get past that wank-fest I mentioned earlier, you're in the clear. "No Sunlight" is a great pop tune which is sure to be the next single and "Cath," easily the jam of the album, sounds like old Built to Spill and Sunny Day Real Estate.

Narrow Stairs then slows a bit with "Talking Bird" (which is only an ok song) and the Brian Wilson ode "You Can Do Better Than Me." "Grapevine Fires" is fine though it sounds like a cheesy adult contemporary tune.

Sounding just slightly like a subtle version of The Photo Album's "Coney Island," "Your New Twin Sized Bed" leads us into the home stretch, aka the best section of the record. "Long Division" is a rocker that isn't too unlike Jimmy Eat World. The beginning of "Pity and Fear," the second attempt at doing something "really experimental" on the album, reminds me of a track from Sunny Day's The Rising Tide, and then builds to those spacey emo guitar octaves I used to love ten years ago. Closing everything out, "The Ice is Getting Thinner" is the only song here that sounds like classic Death Cab. It could easily have fit on the Stability EP.

To summarize, Narrow Stairs sort of has the combined feeling of Jimmy Eat World's Bleed American and Sunny Day Real Estate's The Rising Tide, leaning a little more towards the Jimmy. Sounds like a pretty mediocre record, right?

Wrong. What makes Narrow Stairs actually good is a combination of two things, the first being diversity. I will say that not one song on here sounds anything like the next. Yes these songs are so blatantly pop, and not anywhere near as experimental as Chris Walla and MTV led you to believe. But, I will still argue that they are original, they present variety, and most of them are at least decent. Secondly, with the exception of the vocals and lyrics, everything is in sync. There are songs that stick out as better than others, but within each song, everything fits in its place perfectly. Even in the not-so-good songs. There isn't a part, whether it be an instrument or section of a song, that sticks out as memorable. It all meshes together to create one cohesive good thing, or eight fine songs, one somewhat good opener, and two pretty mediocre snoozers.

When it comes to Death Cab for Cutie, I'll take what I can get. I am in no way offended by the album. Bonus that it is significantly better than I was expecting.