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Binding: Audio CDEAN: 0075678994654 Label: Atlantic Manufacturer: Atlantic MPN: 452796 Number Of Discs: 1 Publisher: Atlantic Release Date: May 13, 2008 Studio: Atlantic Editorial Review: Amazon.co.uk: 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 Amazon.com: 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. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - YEAH!Come on. Anyone who can whine about this album after the last several more and more BORING ones is nuts. Narrow Stairs does manage to give a nod back to We Have the Facts..., still one of the finest albums since The Queen is Dead and still sound fresh. I started with Death Cab upon the first release and unlike REM they didn't have to wait 20 years to put out something great once again. Rating:  - Don't waste your time or money.Death Cab for Cutie has always been an all-time favorite of mine. They were my very first concert. I was ecstatic when I heard that they were finally coming out with a new album. I couldn't have been more disappointed. Not even one song stood out on the ENTIRE CD. Oh, Death Cab. Please, give us something decent next time. Please. Rating:  - Monotonous and bland, yet surprisingly boringThis is the complete opposite of the Death Cab I know and love. What happened to melody? What happened to diversity? Each song seems blandly the same, monotonous, and (gasp!) downright BORRRINGGGG! I saw them live in L.A. a while back, and their energy and effort blew me away. I even chatted with Ben backstage, and his charisma and joy was impressive. Too bad they didn't translate that into this album.... Rating: - Rocky but good.This record is definitely a departure from their previous works. Rockier and with more jam sessions but still very good. Rating: - Marionettes for the Music BoxTrash. Unremarkable, forgettable garbage. Never has going through the motions been so adeptly portrayed in song. There is not a single worthwhile composition, suggesting that, like many who get doused with popularity, the band doesn't have the artistic wherewithal to keep a record label from dictating every melodic sweep and gesture with the twitch of a wrist. I tried valiantly to stick with Death Cab through the stilted, meta-production of Plans and the meadering dissonance ... Read More |
