New Wax
One word to sum up the new Death Cab For Cutie album: different. While Narrow Stairs might alienate a few casual Death Cab listeners and perhaps displease some record executives over at Atlantic Records, it's a reminder of just how good Gibbard and company can be when they get it right. If Narrow Stairs wipes out the 16-year old hipster fan-girl denomination that picked up a copy of Transatlanticism after they heard some song on The OC, well then... hallelujah. The first single released off the album seemed like blatant foreshadowing of a shake-up. "I Will Possess Your Heart," which sounds like a stalker's anthem, opens with a nearly five-minute-long instrumental intro that's bass-heavy and has a sort of The Cure vibe to it. Needless to say, not many bands of this stature would be brave enough to release a first single that's nearly nine minutes long. The most noticeable trait of the album is its decidedly more muscular "band in a room" sound, as opposed to the multi-tracked sprawling slow-burners of their last few albums. Narrow Stairs feels full yet imperfect, and its little moments of feedback and chaos only add to the album's strength. Lyrically, you won't find any nods to immortal love like you did on Plans. Gibbard seems to have delved into the darker recesses of his mind to create characters dealing with doomed relationships, fruitless commitments, and lost optimism. The excellent alt. country vibed "Cath..." weaves the tale of a girl in an unhappy marriage: "She stands with a well intentioned man/ But she can't relax with his hands on the small of her back." While Narrow Stairs still has its heavy-handed moments (it's not a Death Cab album without a few of those), it's the band's most mature effort and for the first time the music doesn't take a backseat to Gibbard's lyricism. -- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Possess Your Heart
MP3: Death Cab For Cutie - Cath...
2 comments:
I'm diggin the sound of this new album. Looking forward to hearing it all.
I think it's a great album. Great to hear that they can be diverse in sound as well as lyrics. It may alienate some "casual" fans, but it will keep the "die-hards" interested and satisfied, and waiting for the next one...
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