Narrow Stairs
Death Cab For Cutie
Reviewed By :
Shreena Soomarah |
 |
In case you hadn't guessed from the (perhaps unintentionally) apt title, this isn't a groundbreaking album. It is, in fact, almost exactly what you'd expect from Death Cab for Cutie.
Almost. Because this is by no means a record that simply regurgitates what the band has achieved before. An altogether gutsier effort, Narrow Stairs may even risk losing them fans who think they "know" the band completely. There's more urgency in this record, a soundtrack for running urgently rather than reflecting somberly, unlike the previous Transatlanticism and Plans. With their self-deprecating lyrics and melancholy sound, Death Cab have been lucky not to trip into the 'new emo' trap; rather, they are the sound of your best shoes scuffing along the pavement. I've listened to this album on the train, at my computer, and in my bedroom, and each time I've found myself looking off to the side and daydrowning in the music. This record smells of summer, festivals, romance, change, emotion.
"I descended the dusty gravel ridge/Between the Bixby Canyon bridge/Until I eventually arrived/At the place where your soul did die". With an instant hit of nostalgia. .Death Cab's storytelling is – still – so vivid that you believe every word. Energetically humming drums and twinkling guitar melodies drive the narrative forward, until all of a sudden you are right there with them inside the music.
Over the years, they have honed their signature sound – part shoegaze, part indie cool, with a light, poppy vocal melody. This isn't a band that will absorb sonic fads; comfortable in their own musical skins, they explore their distinct 'identity' ever deeper on this record.
This is exactly what you'd expect from Death Cab for Cutie. And I'd expect nothing less than a brilliant and understated piece of music. 8/10
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