Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs (2008)
After reading Pitchfork's dismissive review for Death Cab's latest--released today--I feel compelled to come to its defense. I've always been pretty dismissive of Death Cab myself. This past Coachella, I was amused to see that anyone would bother with their set when scheduled against Hot Chip's spectacular live show; I saw them as merely a dull, overhyped indie rock relic with lyrical sentiments that reflect the emotional depth of a love-lorn 8th grader. However, two minutes into Narrow Stairs, I was converted completely. Opener "Bixby Canyon Bridge" begins like any other Death Cab song--a protagonist revisits the ridge where a lost love died--but then, well, it picks up the pace. As the song twists and turns, it soon became clear to me that this is no "New Year" or "Soul Meets Body"--this is the work of a band, and one with something to prove. This is decidedly the only Death Cab album I'd recommend running to. The eight and a half minute first single "I Will Possess Your Heart" may seem like a deliberate attempt to shed a radio audience, but it's a red herring: this is Death Cab's most radio friendly album to date. Narrow Stairs is a makeover akin to Rilo Kiley's on Under the Blacklight, but unlike that band, Death Cab accompanies the polish and shine with their most impressive, unusual songwriting yet and their most exciting playing as a band. There's not a single dull moment on this album. Every track creates a new world of disfunctional love, and for once, it's compelling. "No Sunshine" is a highlight, pairing up the story of an optimist driven down by a hard life with the album's peppiest melody. Even Ben Gibbard's lamer sentiments here, such as his story of a guy struggling not to be the remainder in a relationship's "Long Division", become endearing in light of the new energy apparent on the album. "Long Division" is also the closest this band had come to power pop, and it's a difficult confection to resist--for the record I've always loved long division. And I like to pretend that "Cath...", a story about a woman preparing to marry mourning her decision to cast away the "many men who would have loved [her] more," is about the recently married Cathy Guisewite:
But the album's best moments come from risks like "I Will Possess Your Heart" and the haunting "Pity and Fear", and they're ample proof that this is a band hitting a rich new career turn stronger than ever--like R.E.M. setting out on Warner Bros. in the 90's--rather than a last hurrah--like, perhaps, Accelerate. Narrow Stairs presents a newly accessible, much improved version of a band I'd never even realized I liked, and it's already one of the best albums of the year.
9/10
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