After Death Cab for Cutie’s “Plans” took the band to new heights in 2005 with a Grammy nomination, the May 12 release of “Narrow Stairs” was highly anticipated.
While the album is good overall, those who are fans of “Plans” might find themselves disappointed. Much of the CD is reminiscent of the band’s older works, such as “We’re Voting Yes” and “The Photo Album.”
“I Will Possess Your Heart” is the album’s first single, and though the song itself is not terrible and the story it tells is somewhat endearing, the lyrics are some of the weakest on the album. It doesn’t really represent what the rest of the CD has in store. Also, the radio version of “I Will Possess Your Heart” cuts out the four minute and 40 second intro to the song, which becomes boring and repetitive after the first minute and a half.
“Your New Twin Size Bed” is by far one of the stronger tracks on the album, and may appeal more to fans of “Plans.” With a more pop-infused sound, Ben Gibbard uses his typical magic of taking something simple like a twin bed and using it to tell a moving story about lost love.
The heart-wrenching lyrics in “You Can Do Better Than Me” fit well with the choir-like organs in the background. Gibbard openly questions a relationship with a lover, giving the listener the feeling he wants to let go but simply cannot. The ending lines “You can do better than me, but I can’t do better than you,” show Gibbard as vulnerable, making himself and his music something that the listener can connect with.
Perhaps the most potent lyrics are in “Grapevine Fires,” where Gibbard’s heartfelt words are backed by slightly upbeat piano parts. The song shows a certain acceptance of an impending downfall, as Gibbard sings, “And the news reports on the radio/Said it was getting worse/Cause the ocean air found the flame/But I couldn’t think there was anywhere I would have rather been/To watch it all burn away.”
Guitars replace pianos in the song “Cath…”, which is by far the best song on the album. Listening only to the music, the driving beat and quick tempo give the song a happier feeling than is found on the more mellow tracks.
Gibbard sings, however, of a bride getting married to a man she does not love. While he tells the story of the wedding crowd whispering that the marriage will never last, Gibbard says they should not pass judgment and encourages the bride not to listen, because “If their hearts were dying that fast/They’d have done the same as you.”
Overall, “Narrow Stairs” shows a maturity that Death Cab for Cutie has only been close to discovering on its past albums. The tracks are generally much darker lyrically, musically or both. Despite the inherently mellow sound, fans of Death Cab’s older releases may find this a breath of fresh air.
That is not to say that the album will leave any who hear it feeling empty and depressed, but those who harbor a true appreciation for Gibbard’s lyrical magic and the progression the band shows with this release will easily find beauty in the disc’s darknesas.
Kelly McDonald can be reached at [email protected].
