Narrow Stairs
Death Cab for Cutie
Open iTunes to preview, buy, and download music.
| Name | Artist | Time | Price | ||
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1 |
Bixby Canyon Bridge | Death Cab for Cutie | 5:15 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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2 |
I Will Possess Your Heart | Death Cab for Cutie | 8:25 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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3 |
No Sunlight | Death Cab for Cutie | 2:40 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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4 |
Cath... | Death Cab for Cutie | 3:49 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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5 |
Talking Bird | Death Cab for Cutie | 3:23 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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6 |
You Can Do Better Than Me | Death Cab for Cutie | 1:59 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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7 |
Grapevine Fires | Death Cab for Cutie | 4:07 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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8 |
Your New Twin Sized Bed | Death Cab for Cutie | 3:06 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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9 |
Long Division | Death Cab for Cutie | 3:49 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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10 |
Pity and Fear | Death Cab for Cutie | 4:21 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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11 |
The Ice Is Getting Thinner | Death Cab for Cutie | 3:45 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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12 |
I Will Possess Your Heart (Radio Edit) | Death Cab for Cutie | 4:08 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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13 |
Album Credits (As Read By Mike West) | Death Cab for Cutie | 2:51 | Album Only | View In iTunes |
| Total: 13 Songs |
iTunes Review
With tunes such as “You Can Do Better Than Me,” “Pity and Fear,” and “The Ice is Getting Thinner,” it’s safe to say no one will accuse Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard of getting too comfortable with his band’s continued popular success. The Death Cab cult grows with each release and 2008’s Narrow Stairs should expand their base even further, since it manages to both remain true to the band’s slumbering speeds and heartfelt manifestos while also focusing their sound into a tight, active unit. Backed with electric piano and Gibbard’s earnest vocals, “Grapevine Fires” paints a creepy romantic portrait of a man, his lover and her daughter in a cemetery observing a distant brushfire. “I Will Possess Your Heart” begins with a long, lurking intro before giving way to an obsessive admirer’s verbal promise to win the affection of his obsession. “Your New Twin Sized Bed” lopes with an irresistible melody. Whether the moments are dark or walking towards the light, Gibbard and his indelible tunes evoke a sweetness not often heard in modern pop music.
Customer Reviews
I find it absolutely hilarious
How people are comparing this to not live up to "plans" standards. I even read one review that said "death cab's second album is almost as good as their first. I love everything on plans and now this one is just ok." clearly these people are fans of the electronic sounds behind soul meets body and the acoustic hit of I will follow you into the dark, which is fine, their great songs, but truth be told, THOSE are the songs that don't fit in with all of death cabs other material, but dont get me wrong i love the songs. and by the way, if whoever wrote that review about the second album being as good as the first, try listening to their -1 album or -2, you know the ones that came out before plans like "transatlanticism" (my all tim favorite album from death cab) or "The Photo Album", they also have "you can play these songs with chords," "we have the facts and we're voting yes" and "something about airplanes" Those albums are what death cab cutie is and still is today. So if you're a death cab fan but are thinking about not buying this because of some of the negative reviews, buy it, because those people are uninformed as to who death cab really is. This album is great.
Not Worth The Hype
When I first heard about the upcoming Death Cab album, I was excited. When i heard the first single, most of that excitement went away. But i didn't lose all hope. I bought the album anyway (considering Death Cab has always been one of my favorite bands) in hopes that it would redeem itself. For the most part, it did not. This album is unlike any other Death Cab album out there. It lack's so much that made every other Death Cab album unique and interesting. And, I obviously can't call this record a sophomore slump, but rather it is a conscious slump. I feel as though the band intentionally shifted their style to appeal to new tastes, new genres, and new fans. While that is understandable, I feel that the record could have been better integrated with their older sound to produce a smoother transition between styles, thus avoiding the shock that many fans are feeling with this album. I don't want to call this album bad; it is not bad, just not good. With the exception of a few tracks (namely Cath..., Your New Twin Sized Bed, and Grapevine Fires) the album is a digression into a more grungy and dissonant sound. The beautiful piano parts on tracks like Brothers on a Hotel Bed, Stability, and Transatlanticism are nowhere to be found on this album. Instead they are replaced with heavy guitar riffs and edgy bass-lines. This is a whole new Death Cab for Cutie, and long time fans might find this album difficult to listen to, but I would not be surprised that new time listeners might find it appealing. I wish this was not the case, but Gibbard feels as though he has nothing to prove to the masses now that he has established himself as a pertinent singer/songwriter. I believe otherwise. True genius does not go sour, it keeps giving, and this album does not quite deliver as i expected it to. Still, it's worth a listen, even it's something unexpected that listeners will hear.
Not their best stuff...
And with that being said, it probably still deserves 4 stars. Narrow Stairs is a good album in its own right, but since it's Death Cab, it's just average, nothing really special. If you're a fan of Death Cab because of Plans and Transatlanticism, be wary of purchasing Narrow Stairs, because you might end up very disappointed. The powerful and expansive chorus lines, catchy singles and emotionally driven acoustics are nowhere to be found on Death Cab for Cutie's 6th album. Narrow Stairs, seems rather well, narrow in scope and is honestly pretty boring at times. It almost seems that producer Chris Walla wanted to restrain Ben's vocals and let the instrumentals define the album...which is a shame. Narrow Stairs is a deviation from Plans and Transatlanticism. Die-hard Death Cab fans will still love this album, blindly give it 5 stars and defend it by saying that its just a band moving forward with their music or whatever. Be that as it may, I just wanted the next great summer album, songs that I could sing to while driving or relax to at the pool. That may be selfish of me, but hey, I've been spoiled. Top Tracks: 1. Grapevine Fires 2. Cath... 3. I Will Possess Your Heart (Radio Edit)
Biography
Formed: 1997 in Bellingham, WA
Genre: Alternative
Years Active: '90s, '00s, '10s
Top Albums and Songs By Death Cab for Cutie
| Name | Album | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 |
I Will Possess Your Heart | Narrow Stairs | 8:25 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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2 |
I Will Follow You Into the Dark | Plans | 3:09 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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3 |
Cath... | Narrow Stairs | 3:49 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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4 |
Soul Meets Body | Plans | 3:50 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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5 |
Meet Me On the Equinox | The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Deluxe Version) [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] | 3:44 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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6 |
You Are a Tourist | Codes and Keys (Deluxe Version) | 4:46 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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7 |
Grapevine Fires | Narrow Stairs | 4:07 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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8 |
I Will Possess Your Heart (Radio Edit) | Narrow Stairs | 4:08 | $1.29 | View In iTunes |
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9 |
The Sound of Settling | Transatlanticism | 2:12 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
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10 |
Transatlanticism | Transatlanticism | 7:55 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
- $9.99
- Genres: Alternative, Music, Rock, Adult Alternative, Pop, Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
- Released: May 09, 2008
- ℗ 2008 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
