Death Cab for Cutie Experiments with Release of Narrow Stairs (Review)

I'm sure by now we've all heard of Death Cab for Cutie's newest single on their newly released album, Narrow Stairs. "I Will Possess Your Heart" has been featured in numerous commercials, such as for Rhapsody, and is played frequently on MTV. What about the rest of the album, though?

"Bixby Canyon Bridge" is the opening song and it is an excellent one. It sounds like the classic Death Cab that we all know and love. Ben Gibbard's voice is strong, but soothing as he croons, "you can't see a dream". I can imagine this being a very effective opener during concerts.

Next comes "I Will Possess Your Heart", the first single off the CD. I honestly love the album version. Coming in at a staggering 8:35 (for Death Cab), the instrumental opening doesn't seem as long as you would think when listening to it. The piano flows perfectly with the bass and electronic elements of the band. Although it would not be my choice as the first single from the album, it is not disappointing by any means.

"No Sunlight" is a mixed success for the band. A more upbeat element drives it, reminiscent of a more toned down version of "Soul Meets Body". Ben Gibbard's voice is softer and less commanding than previous albums; this makes it seem almost created to be a radio hit, but falls a bit short of achieving that.

"Cath..." is my personal favorite from Narrow Stairs. The first time I heard this song I was in love with it. However, it does not have the signature sound associated with Death Cab. This is a very radio friendly, because finally Ben Gibbard's voice maintains its intensity throughout the song. The lyrics tell the story of a woman that seemed to have made some mistakes, "but you said your vows and closed the door / on so many men who would've loved you more".

Unfortunately, the best song on the album is followed by the worst. "Talking Bird" is the obligatory slow Death Cab piece that holds none of the beauty of "I Will Follow You Into The Dark". It is not terrible, if you're in the mood for listening to someone drone about the metaphors between a bird and a girl.

"You Can Do Better Than Me" explores a new side of Death Cab that has never been seen in previous albums. It seems to almost draw ties from Broadway, being extremely classy sounding, however when looking at the lyrics a different story is told. Some of it is not very inspiring "You can do better than me / but I can't do better than you" but it is nevertheless an interesting listen, if nothing else than for being different.

"Grapevine Fires" is a beautiful 4:09 minutes. The imagery in the lyrics is beautifully written, as Ben Gibbard describes the California wildfires. One of my favorites, Ben Gibbard's voice is very soothing as he sings about "watching it all burn away".

"Your New Twin Sized Bed" immediately seems to allude to "Brothers on a Hotel Bed", but instead this song focuses on someone unable to apparently be in a relationship. It gets to the point that they give away their queen size bed in exchange for a twin size one; yes, the lyrics are extremely literal. However, it does not bring down the album, but does not contribute much to it either.

"Long Division" is another catchy song that seems to compare long division to a relationship. Ben Gibbard does love his similes. There is never a point where this song dulls, and although I can see it being popular, hearing "remainder" more than twenty times as the song concludes does get a bit dull.

The next song, "Pity and Fear", finally slows the CD down a bit. The lyrics are beautifully written, and although there is a subtle urgency lying behind Ben Gibbard's voice, his tone never wavers. The ending, however, is very drastic as the loud cacophonous noise cuts to nothing and transitions to the slow closing song.

"The Ice is Getting Thinner" concludes Narrow Stairs with a faint, crooning voice. It is the classic soft closer that is notably similar in slowness to the last songs on the past two albums. Drawn out and tragic, the music almost reflects the frequent assertion that "the ice was getting thinner under me and you".

Narrow Stairs, while not one of the greatest of Death Cab for Cutie's releases, is still no travesty. There are some gems on this album that are worth looking into, especially as this band matures and explores different sounds beyond their signature style.