Narrow Stairs

Amazon.com Narrow Stairs might be the first album recorded by Death Cab for Cutie since Ben Gibbard's former solo project went unexpectedly stratospheric, but Gibbard hasn't let it go to his head. Oh, OK, maybe a little: lead-off single "I Will Possess Your Heart" is an eight minute jam that speeds off on one long, luminous curve before Gibbard's distinctive vocals swing in, sweet and plaintive as ever. Even when indulging their grander visions, though, Death Cab for Cutie are still familiar as the same band that wrote those fragile, winsome songs back before teen drama The OC came knocking. Never knowingly overstated, built from driving rhythms, flourishes of piano and intricate melodies, Narrow Stairs builds grand, emotionally loaded narratives from small, subtle parts. "Your New Twin Sized Bed" hides a deftly articulated tale of heartbreak and loneliness amidst soothing tangles of guitar, while "You Can Do Better than Me" is a sweet miniature that's part Pet Sounds orchestration, part wistful Dear John. This isn't, as Gibbard would previously hint, a dissonant or especially adventurous album. It proves, however, that Death Cab can extend their scope without diluting the pathos or energy of their music, and it not only sounds great, but bodes well for the future. --Louis Pattison Product Description After relentless touring, performances on Saturday Night Live, and appearing on the cover of Spin and Paste Magazines, Death Cab for Cutie brings us Narrow Stairs. Following up their DVD collection, Directions, which sold over 30,000 copies and their platinum selling album, Plans, was no easy task but Narrow Stairs has already been praised by MTV.com as the band s most daring and adventurous effort to date. After hearing Narrow Stairs earlier this week, it turns out that everything I had known about Death Cab was wrong. They are actually a really great band, and Stairs is unquestionably the best thing they ve ever done. The first single from Narrow Stairs, I Will Possess Your Heart, received major market adds and airplay within one day of being serviced to Modern Rock and AAA radio. Death Cab for Cutie will hit the road this spring on a headlining US Tour About the Artist If I were in a band, Chris Walla would produce my album. The knob-turning guitar virtuoso of Death Cab For Cutie has finally executed for his very own band what we’ve been waiting for: a project that makes the Seattle foursome’s true sound come across on record. More poised and powerful than any in its six-album catalog, Narrow Stairs transmits the group out of the studio and into your living room. Songwriter Ben Gibbard--who never fails to lay his unembroidered heart on the line--wastes no time with the confident single "I Will Possess Your Heart." Over a throbbing bass line and a minute-plus instrumental lead-in, Gibbard pleads, "You’ve gotta spend some time with me/And I know that you’ll find love/I will possess your heart." The first of a half-dozen songs with hit potential, (see the melancholy summer songs "No Sunlight" and "Cath," or the self-effacing "You Can Do Better Than Me," with its Beach Boys buoyancy.) "Possess" is an earnest juxtaposition to a pair of go-your-own-way tracks found later on the disc. Gibbard paints a love-crushed portrait in "Your New Twin-Sized Bed," ("I guess you decided/That queen was more space than you’d ever need"), and "The Ice Is Getting Thinner," ("The seasons have changed/And so have we.") By themselves, the lyrics are sheer poetry. But backed by the wits, boldness, and sway of this splendid band, Narrow Stairs just may become a landmark record.--Scott Holter
ASIN: B0017I1RH4
VSKU: DBV.B0017I1RH4.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Death Cab for Cutie
Binding: Audio CD
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Condition Notes: Individually inspected: Guaranteed to play perfectly or your money back. Case may show wear and may be in library packaging. Ships Fast!