Music Monday: Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs

I’m sure pretty much every emo or indie kid is praising me for this review. Because let’s face it, Death Cab are emo royalty.

They’re like how Jay-Z is to hip-hop. Or how AC/DC are to rock. You know what I mean?

Firstly, I’d like to point out how impressed I am by the album artwork of this album. Inside and out are a series of images that portray simplicity – something which really compliments the songs on the album. And for those of you who know me, you’ll know I think ’simplicity = good.’

Track #1: Bixby Canyon Bridge – An eerie start to the album. Drums gradually build and suddenly cut out towards the end of the song, re-creating the atmosphere it started with initially.

Track #2: I Will Possess Your Heart – This song is nothing short of an 8 minute masterpiece. You get the impression that the lead singer is adamant that you’ll fall in love with him. Let’s hope he’s not sending any subliminal messages. Still, a masterpiece nonetheless.

Track #3: No Sunlight – The first song to actually sound pretty happy. It’s not until you listen to the lyrics and realize he’s telling you of a crappy childhood that you realize it’s the saddest song so far. Very catchy though.

Track #4: Cath… - Again, this song appears to have a happy tone, but the lyrics tell a different story. It’s about a woman who has had the opportunity to love but just can’t hold onto it. Pretty deep, right? Still pleasant to the ears.

Track #5: Talking Bird – Is this song really about a parrot, or is it really a metaphor for the love of a partner? The beauty of this entire album is that it is up to the listener to determine which songs should be taken literally and which ones have hidden meanings.

Track #6: You Can Do Better Than Me - Once more, a song that sounds extremely happy. Which is a good thing. But the guy singing is really just drowning his sorrows in the song, as he can’t do any better than who he is singing to. But he/she could easily get someone better.

Track #7: Grapvine Fires - Lead singer Benjamin Gibbard’s voice really penetrates the listener in this track. With another voice relaying over his in the chorus, it makes the song seem very haunting. Beautiful.

Track #8: Your New Twin Sized Bed – When listening to this song, you really realize that Death Cab’s lyrics really have no structure. There is none of the usual ‘2 verses – chorus – verse – chorus – bridge – chorus’ bullshit, the purpose of these songs is to tell a story, and that is exactly what this one does.

Track #9: Long Division – A beautiful explanation of the change of a simple man. This track is very poppy, with a dance-y drum beat and a memorable guitar to accompany it.

Track #10: Pity and Fear – Everytime I see this song on my iTunes, I think ‘Pity and Fear? Which one’s that?’ But then I play it and it all comes flooding back. This is actually one of my favourites on the whole album. I particularly like the line “And I recall the push more than the fall.”

Track #11: The Ice Is Getting Thinner – Without a doubt my favourite. It’s strange how the last track is normally the worst, or the most forgotten, but this is an exception. An obvious story told of a breaking down of a relationship, with the clever comparison to ice breaking underneath people.

If you like listening to relaxing chill-out music, you’ll probably like this. If you enjoy more of a dance, I wouldn’t recommend it.

For me though, music that gives you something to think about is often more poetic and important than music that just makes you dance. Win for Death Cab.

Overall Rating: