Narrow Stairs: Album Review
Looking at Death Cab for Cutie's Experimental Seventh Record
Seattle-based Death Cab for Cutie released their new album Narrow Stairs this week. This album is dark and eerie, but it shows that the band is capable of being diverse.
When Death Cab for Cutie announced Narrow Stairs in April, all signs pointed to it being drastically different, and it is. Kind of. Narrow Stairs diverts from being a “normal” Death Cab album in many ways. The album demands your full attention and it rarely fails to grab you at every twist and turn. The subject matter is much darker—Gibbard primarily sings about strife and failure—but the album is engaging and much more complex than Death Cab’s previous efforts.
It begins like any other Death Cab for Cutie album. “Bixby Canyon Bridge” opens the album with lead singer Ben Gibbard singing about the death of a loved one’s soul over soft arpeggiating guitar. But instead of a singsong chorus with a positive message, the song breaks out into heavy bass, drums and distortion as you realize that you’re not listening to a traditional Death Cab album.
Narrow Stairs has Minor Diversions in Soft-Rock Sound
Musically speaking, Death Cab for Cutie doesn’t divert from their old style very much. The soft acoustic guitar and piano are still there, as are Ben Gibbard’s airy vocals. But on this release, these trademark characteristics are supplemented by equally prominent basslines, heavy drumming, and copious amounts of noise sampling. Many songs on the album sound like they are the offspring of Transatlanticism’s “We Looked like Giants”. This heavier, poppier sound is prevalent on tracks such as “No Sunlight” and “Cath…” (The latter of which is probably the best song on the album).
The message the band gives is also more negative than in their previous albums. Although their platinum 2005 album Plans featured lots of death (“Love is watching someone die”), it gave a positive message about love and the world. Narrow Stairs does not do this; even the songs about love are not entirely heartfelt. “I Will Possess Your Heart” is the equivalent of a stalker’s love note disguised by Gibbard’s innocent demeanor, “Cath…” sings about a doomed marriage, and “You can Do Better than Me” is almost a parody of the fan favorite “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” from Plans. The album is certainly a change of pace, but it does follow some of Death Cab’s conventions, for better or worse.
Death Cab Shows Optimism and Nostalgia
Even though Narrow Stairs is lyrically the polar opposite of Death Cab for Cutie’s normal material, there are still a few nostalgic moments. Hidden underneath the sorrow of saying goodbye, Ben Gibbard shows a glimmer of forlorn hope in “Your New Twin Sized Bed,” which is a soft and mellow song about downsizing after a relationship. “Long Division,” amidst the character’s desire not to be a ‘remainder’, is a geek-chic song that is playful and upbeat, complete with Gibbard singing “oh ho ho!”s.
There is a large amount of subdued nostalgia in Narrow Stairs, but after making eleven years’ worth of music, Death Cab has earned the right to look back. One of the largest selling points for the album is that it shows the band is not afraid to change their sound, although Gibbard’s perfect high voice is impossible to disguise. Although Narrow Stairs is a huge changeup, it manages to keep intact the band’s heart: a desire to imprint a message on yours. And—in a nutshell—that is why the album is a success.
8.75/10—Narrow Stairs is a solid album, although many fans of the band’s previous albums will disagree. The lyrical content is completely different, and it is much less polished, but it still shows musicianship, class, and just a hint of optimism. While Narrow Stairs might be a more demanding listen than previous Death Cab for Cutie albums, it shows that Ben Gibbard and company still have a few tricks up their sleeve.
You can look at Death Cab for Cutie's website here.
